Lingering Perils of War
by BornOnMayDay
Summary: Sophie and Howl are married, and Ingary is being rebuilt after the war. But as Howl comes down with a mysterious illness, the residents of the Moving Castle become aware of that the perils of war will linger much longer than expected. NOW COMPLETED!
1. Building A New Life

**Lingering Perils of War**

_Author's notes:_

_I do not own Howl's Moving Castle, the characters are all properties of Diane Wynne Jones and Studio Ghibli. This is just my personal thoughts on what might have happened after the movie, with some elements from the book thrown into the mix._

_English is not my first language, so feel free to point out any possible errors of spelling and grammar, and I will try to correct them!_

Summary:

Sophie and Howl are married, and Ingary is being rebuilt after the war. But as Howl comes down with a mysterious illness, the residents of the Moving Castle become aware of that the perils of war will linger much longer than expected.

Genres: Angst, hurt/comfort, romance

Warnings: Rated T for possible frightening imagery/descriptions and suggestive adult themes. Just beware-this is NOT your usual light hearted fluffy HMC fic. Consider yourselves warned.

Other notes of interest: As I first got inspired to write this scenario, I wanted to get to the action right away. Then I realized that the story is set quite a bit into the future from where the movie ends. There are lots of things in need of explanation-sometimes, even *I* had a hard time grasping some of the events that obviously have occurred. Hence, I chose to include most of the important episodes from Sophie's and Howl's time together. Some of them might not be very detailed-in fact, on request, I'd be happy to develop them into separate stories. Still, these events are rather crucial to the storyline, so I suggest you'd read it from the beginning.

Another thing that might be of interest regarding this story is that by the time the first chapter is posted, I do have several chapters in store that are only in need of minor adjustments before publishing. I promise it won't be long between the postings, especially if I'm getting aware of that there are people following (and maybe enjoying) this.

So… let's get on with the story then, shall we?

––––

"Sophie… please… be back soon… _promise!_ Promise you won't stay there and move in with them… pleeease!"

Sophie couldn't help a small giggle escaping her as Markl was grasping her skirt, burying his face in the fabric. However, she was aware of that there was more to this clinginess than just mere affection. Orphaned at an early age, Markl had been left to sleeping at people's doorsteps, until Howl had taken him in as his disciple. The fear of separation was deep within him.

Kneeling down, she returned the embrace, and ruffled his hair while meeting his anxious eyes. "Markl, dear… look…"

She showed him her left hand, where the stone of her wedding ring glistened like a firefly in the dim light. "I and Howl are married now, see? Married people wouldn't move out to live with their sisters, no matter how dear they are to them. They just want to visit them once in a while."

They were interrupted by a voice from the staircase. "_This_ is what married people do!"

Sophie wasn't certain whether he'd been using magic or that it was just the swiftness of his feet, but in the wink of an eye, she felt Howl's arms grabbing her from behind. Even before she could catch her breath he'd swept her up, and his lips met hers in a passionate, but deliberately over dramatic kiss.

"Oh Howl… you… you-" Giggling, Sophie struggled just a bit, trying to free herself.

"I love you so much, Sophie." Howl pulled back a little, and his eyes, now serious, met hers. "I'll miss you."

This time, Sophie returned his kiss. "And I love you, Howl."

"Bleeeh!" Markl wrinkled his nose in disgust, turning his back on the couple. "I'm NEVER gonna get married," he muttered under his breath as he scurried upstairs, Heen the dog following in his footsteps.

Sophie shook her head, laughing, but Howl's eyes were serious again, and she quickly sobered.

"It may still be dangerous out there… are you really certain you should go alone? I can go with you…" He took her hands, entwining his fingers with hers, stroking them gently.

She shook her head. "I know, but you shouldn't worry… I'll be all right, and we'd have to bring Markl along… it would be far more dangerous for him, especially considering that dog would get into everything…"

Howl nodded. "I know. But it's just…" He was trailing off, brows furrowed but his eyes locked on her.

Sophie pulled their joined hands closer, pressing them to her heart. "I _know_ you care. But I will be back soon, in pristine condition. I swear."

They hugged and kissed once more before Sophie turned the handle to yellow-the Market Chipping portal door. A sickening metallic smell merged with smoke and something which origins she _really_ didn't want to speculate upon, hit her with a gust of wind as the door blew open. She shuddered a little, but tried her best to conceal it.

"I'd better get going, then. But remember my instructions, and don't get too carried away, you two." She winked.

Howl nodded obediently, trying but failing to conceal a slight annoyance. "Dinner's in the cupboard, just heat and eat, and Markl in bed at nine if you're not back until then" he chanted.

"Very good." Sophie giggled. "And make sure to get some dinner yourself, too."

"Yes, ma'am." Howl initiated a hand motion that probably was meant to be a salute, but froze in mid air, quickly composing himself, shivering slightly. Sophie knew that by now, even the smallest reminder of the war would make him uncomfortable.

After placing another quick kiss on his nose, Sophie took a deep breath and let go of Howl's hands. She stepped outside hearing the door close behind her, knowing Howl would pose himself behind the window, watching her until she was out of sight.

––––

The evening breeze was warm and moist, and the blue sky of the clear summer afternoon was a deep contrast to the charred town surrounding Sophie as she was walking down the street, trying to avoid the craters and the scattered pieces of twisted metal and debris. It had been more than a year now since the peace talks were initiated, but only a few months before the actual signing of the peace treaty and the last flare up of the war.

There were not a single structure that had made it through the war intact. At the station, the ghostly remains of a train were still waiting for departure; a sinister creature with iron claws and crumbled funnels blindly trying to crawl its way out, though its wheels would always be welded to the zig zagged twisted rails.

All that remained of the once so magnificent church closest to their home was a scattered pile of boulders and the very tip of the tower; the spire, though somewhat bent, still pointing toward the sky in a gesture of defiance.

The shops and cafés along the main street were all in ruins-including her own hat shop and childhood home. Initially, as she came back from the Wastes with her new family after the returning of Howl's heart, they had been unable to find her sisters and her step mother. Furthermore, Howl had been feeling so weak and heavy that he could barely make it off the ground; he'd felt like having to learn how to fly all over again.

He'd found that he was still able change into a birdlike form, but his new preferred shape was slender, partly humanoid… far from his former monster creature. Nevertheless, it took him a long time to muster up the strength and skill to scout the landscape as he did before.

There had of course been other, even more urgent matters to attend. With all the portals destroyed and the castle in scattered pieces (as well as the house in Market Chipping), Howl and Calcifer had had to build something that at least would do as a makeshift home for the family, and it had to be finished before the first nightfall. Despite a great effort and much help from Calcifer, Howl had only been able to create a moderate sized, sparsely decorated common room with a single window and a couple mattresses and blankets on the floor. Naturally, there was also a bathroom, but only with the most basic equipment; a toilet and a basin with a shower hose attached, and towels no bigger than sheets of paper.

Initially, there had only been two portals-the black and the green colors on the dial. From the outside, the castle had looked like a giant cannon ball with two dark eye cavities; its surface resembling an iron patched quilt. Squatted in the midst of the Wastelands on its raptor like feet, it hadn't been moving at all, and it would take a long time before it did.

––––

The first night, everyone but Sophie had fallen asleep the second they'd hit their mattresses. Still too overcome with emotion, in a strange way like she had never experienced before, she found her mood pending between feeling on the brink of laughter and on the verge of tears. There had been no more kissing between her and Howl… he had just been able to manage a faint "good night" before he'd slumped down on his bed in a far corner of the room.

Eventually, Sophie gave up on sleep, and rising from her bed, she positioned herself by the window. A soft rain was falling over the wastelands, but the almost full moon was still visible through the clouds. Walking over to Howl's bed, kneeling down, she watched his sleeping face, desperately trying to quell the desire to kiss him awake.

Even with all his beauty spells disarmed, he looked almost like a work of art, she mused. However, a twitch of his face indicated that he wasn't sleeping peacefully, and suddenly he bolted upwards, eyes wide open in panic, clutching his chest. Sophie was so startled that she nearly pulled away as he clung to her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"'Tis all right," she soothed. "It will just take some time to get used to the sensation…"

Quietly, Howl buried his face in her gown, and she held him, gently stroking his back, until his labored breathing had slowed, and she felt his body relaxing again.

"Please… stay…" he pleaded in a whispering voice.

"I'll be right here," she promised, pulling her mattress closer, so that their headboards now were facing each other. Naturally, part of her was longing for just… snuggling up under his blanket, holding him close for the rest of the night… or at least placing her bed alongside his, but she knew it wouldn't be proper, considering that they weren't married… Instead, she just positioned herself so she could feel a light brushing of his hair against her forehead, and offered him her right hand. He took it, clasping it in his. She gradually felt the grip weakening… until she was almost asleep herself, but suddenly, another noise got her attention.

"Sooophie…"

Markl was standing by their beds, looking as he was about to burst into tears any moment. "I'm scared… and cold… and _hungry!_"

Not until then it dawned on her that their entire storage of food was gone, and there was nothing edible in the house whatsoever. With the bombings, the stores wouldn't open for a long time, in any of the cities.

"I'm sorry, Markl…" she whispered. "Come here." She lifted her blanket for a bit, and the boy curled up against her.

Suddenly, though, she felt a slight shifting of Howl's bed, as he was making an almost undistinguishable motion with his free hand. And right in front of Markl, a sandwich appeared. Even though the bread was rather stale, and there was nothing on top of it save a thin layer of rather tasteless butter, it was edible, and Markl accepted it gratefully.

"Thank you, Master Howl" he managed in a happy sigh of a whisper. But Howl was already fast asleep, still holding Sophie's hand.

As soon as Markl was finished, he cuddled up under the blankets again, but this time, a hissing sound got Sophie's attention. Heen the dog was standing at the foot of her bed.

She sighed in resignation. "All right… go ahead."

Heen ran around in a small circle before eventually curling up in a ball against her feet. And thus, they were all falling asleep.

––––

_To be continued..._


	2. The Proposal

Author's notes:

Thank you so much for your encouraging words/adding this story to your favorits etc! Here's the second chapter, and there are still much more already written, so you can expect more posted within short.

For complete list of disclaimers/warnings, see chapter one.

Your feedback means the world to me-and feel free to point out any spelling and grammar errors!

–––

As Sophie found out, there was indeed a spell that could turn just about anything into something edible. And it would become their lifeline, even though the food produced by magic proved to be nothing like the real thing. It might have had the look and feel of whatever it was meant to resemble, but most often, the taste didn't come out right, nor did it seem particularly nutritious. Furthermore, it took a great effort for any wizard to produce. But with all of the stores closed, much of the cattle killed and a major part of the harvest destroyed due to toxic waste or fire from the bombings, there was little or no choice.

The residents of the Moving Castle soon fell into new, daily routines. Sophie spent much of her time cleaning, washing and cooking, and collecting everything edible that could be found in the surrounding wastelands. She always tried to feed Markl with as much of the real thing as possible, knowing that he needed it for his growth.

Calcifer, (after ensuring that their house was warm, and that there was enough hot water to satisfy their immediate needs), usually spent his days trying to locate whatever could be salvaged from the old, collapsed castle, while Howl was busy trying to catch up on his flying skills, his watchful eyes surveying the never-ending streams of refugees that were now returning to their former homes. He tried to help them out as much as he could, moving debris and getting rid of old bomb shells, but always made sure he had some strength to spare as he was returning home.

Every night, Howl and Calcifer made little improvements to the castle. Sometimes, it was just a piece of furniture, some new utilities for the kitchen or the addition of another window. But soon, they'd managed to recreate their old bedrooms, and the main bathroom was now housing a large tub with a shower. With the ability of once again taking reinvigorating baths in the evening and the morning, Sophie was relieved beyond words to see that Howl's old vigor was returning with a steadily increasing pace.

Most often, he was still totally spent in the evenings, twice scaring Sophie half to death by falling asleep mid-sentence during a conversation at the dinner table.

But one night, he'd bolted in through the door, beaming and twittering with excitement. "Sophie!" he yelled, not caring whether he'd wake up Markl in the process. "Sophie, I found them! Alive and well!"

He swept her off her feet, and kissed her and hugged her tightly. It turned out that the Hatter family had successfully made it to one of the refugee camps, but were now, like so many others, returning to Market Chipping, determined that life must go on and the city had to be rebuilt.

A few hours later, Howl and Calcifer had already created another portal, accessible via the yellow color on the dial. It was their old house in Market Chipping, now partially collapsed. As Sophie got out for the first time, her stepmother and sisters had been there waiting for her. It was a tearful reunion, albeit a rather awkward situation for her stepmother Honey, since she was feeling terribly guilty for her earlier betrayal. However, Sophie had assured her that everything was all right, and that she was forgiven. Nothing could change the past, and now they all had to focus on the present and the future.

Initially, though, her sisters had found it hard to hide that they were still a bit skeptical to the fact that Sophie was now living with that Horrible Heart Eater Howl, and that they were obviously having a romantic relationship. But Sophie had calmly reassured them that he'd changed, and Howl had been trying very hard to put his best foot forward, treating them with an almost overwhelming kindness and courtesy. The Hatter family's new residence had also been in ruins after the war, and Howl had made sure to spend as much time as possible with them, helping them rebuild it.

One night, while Howl was still out, a wide eyed Lettie had been bursting in through the door of the castle, announcing that "Sylvia and Shelia dropped by tonight as Howl was there, and can you imagine, Howl next to ignored them!" Sophie had a good laugh, knowing that he'd made his point.

The opening of the new portal brought other consequences as well. Soon, word spread that there was a powerful wizard in town, and that he had spells and potions for everything.

As people were returning to their homes, there had been other side effects. The entire waste water system had collapsed, and within short, many people, and children in particular, got sick from drinking the water and eating what little food could be salvaged. Howl was next to overwhelmed trying to keep up with everyone asking for food generating and purification spells, (the latter almost as difficult as the former). And naturally, he couldn't charge his customers like before, though some of them did offer him other things in return, like real bread or sometimes delicacies like milk or eggs. Markl and Calcifer did their best to help him out, and Sophie realized that even though she'd never dare to practice magic on her own, she had a talent for memorizing spells, and thus, she could offer her assistance on quite a few occasions.

Since only one real doctor had returned to Market Chipping after the war, he was as overwhelmed with work as his services were expensive. Instead, people often turned to Howl for medical advice. Unfortunately, there was no ultimate healing spell, the most powerful in its field was probably the one used for blood quenching. Of course, there _were_ spells that could be used to relieve pain or reducing fever and nausea, but those symptoms were all there for a reason, and in many cases, using the spells could prove downright lethal. Howl-and any other sensible magician-were careful not to use them, very well aware that they would never be able to compete with the doctors.

Initially, when facing a customer who was visibly severely ill, Howl's old self nearly took over, and he tried to talk himself out of it. But with Sophie by his side, he obviously realized that he had to stand up for himself, and tell them that though he was deeply sorry, the only help he could offer was a spell for good faith. It was more of a prayer, really, but maybe it would help them to keep their hopes up.

However, after such an incident, Howl most often remained silent for the rest of the day, sometimes locking himself up in his room or the bathroom for hours. Any efforts to try and comfort him were usually dismissed.

"_This_ is what war really is," he said, gesturing at the closed front door after they were gone.

–––

Sophie couldn't deny that there _had_ been times when she'd been doubtful about her relationship with Howl. They were usually kissing and hugging a few times a day… more or less passionately, but so many things kept coming between them, and besides, most often, Howl was so exhausted after his chores of the day were finished that he'd just drag himself into the bath or his bedroom. And whenever he was in a better mood, some of his attention had to be given to the rest of their family as well.

But there were times that Sophie's body just felt like screaming for intimacy, and during the night, alone in her bedroom, she'd often caught herself fantasizing about sneaking into Howl's bedroom while he was asleep, curling up behind him, snuggling in his warmth, feeling him gradually waking up… but oh no… they weren't married… and who knew if they'd ever be.

Several times however, she'd woken up in the middle of the night, convinced that he was standing beside her bed, watching her, but that was probably just her imagination… as she sat up, looking around the room, no one was there.

One day though, Howl had been gone particularly late. As he didn't turn up for dinner, Sophie was becoming really worried, and when it was past their bedtime, he still hadn't come home. She decided to stay up in the kitchen and wait. She'd been hoping for Calcifer to keep her company, but the fire demon was so tired after a hard day's work that he had fallen asleep under a log, only the faintly glowing embers revealing that he wasn't out.

By midnight, the front door was suddenly opened, and Sophie, realizing that she'd been dozing off with her head on the kitchen table, awoke with a jolt. It was Howl, and he was looking miserably… dead tired, his suit stained with dirt. He was hiding his left arm behind his back.

"Howl!" Sophie leapt up from her chair, hugging him tight, and he just rested his head on her shoulder, breathing in her scent, but still not moving his left arm. As he met her eyes, she saw that he had been crying. "Are you all right?" Her voice was tense with anxiety.

He nodded slowly. "I'm… I'm just tired…" His eyes flickered. "It's… Sophie-" He took a deep breath. "It's just… I can't live like this anymore. I can't… live with you, still living… without you…"

Speechless, Sophie put a trembling hand to her mouth.

"I know I'm not an easy man to live with… and that I probably won't ever be… and I know this isn't the most ideal of times… but Sophie, please…"

At this stage, Sophie's heart was pounding so hard that her ears were ringing, and falling back on the chair, like in a daze, she watched him getting down on one knee.

"Sophie…I love you… more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life… so will you… will you marry me?"

It felt like she was watching herself from an outside perspective as Howl finally brought forth his right arm, unclasping his fist. In his trembling hand, a tiny box opened itself up, revealing what at first glance appeared to be a plain golden ring. But taking a closer look, she saw that it was surrounded by a blueish hue… like a reflection of his eyes as he slowly raised his head to look at her. The expression on his face was so intense she almost winced at his gaze, and though his eyes were literally overflowing with love and affection for her, his jaw was quivering. "Look." He lowered his eyes again before continuing, almost out of breath. "I know I couldn't afford a genuine hand crafted one, but I promise, I will as soon as I possibly can, because you're worth it, Sophie, you're worth every-"

At his incoherent babble, Sophie once again found herself being in control of her own body. Without a word, she flung herself at him, with such intensity that he toppled over, dropping the ring box, and almost bumped his head on the empty chair beside him before hitting the floor. Without even realizing what she was doing, she was pinning him down to the ground, kissing him with such a violent passion that he had to catch his breath before returning the affection.

But suddenly, a load crackling noise from the hearth broke their attention. "Excuse me." Calcifer certainly didn't seem too overjoyed with being awakened in the middle of the night, stressing every syllable of the words in a sarcastic tongue-in cheek manner. "Even if you were married, I wouldn't exactly consider a kitchen floor to be the most… suitable place for… the kind of activities you're demonstrating at the moment… considering that some of us are actually trying to _SLEEP_ here!"

Sophie, her face flushing red, her wet, sparkling eyes now filled with laughter, broke the kiss, one of her hands covering her twitching lips. "I'm sorry, Calcifer…" she said, before bursting out laughing, tears now freely running from her eyes.

"But it seems we _are_ getting-married within short," Howl panted from underneath her. "At least… I'd take that as a "yes"…"

His eyes once again met Sophie's, and pushing him down anew, her face was hovering just above his. Her right hand got hold of the ring box that had closed itself again, and opening it, she brought forth the ring. "Yes. It's definitely a yes."

Placing the ring in Howl's hand, she allowed him to sit up again, and she offered him her left hand, stretching out her ring finger. Gently, he took it between his long, slender fingers, and very carefully, he slid the ring on. Once in position, it flickered slightly before its blue light was matted again. It was a perfect match.

At the same moment, Sophie felt another ring materialize on her right palm, this one with a dark amber glow. Howl held out his left hand, and Sophie, just as gently as he did a moment ago, let the ring slide into place onto his ring finger.

They kissed once more, albeit a little more careful this time.

Calcifer, rendered momentarily speechless from the scene playing in front of him, rolled his eyes, sighing. "Well, certainly not a moment too soon. And I'll wish you the best of luck when the day comes… but for now… _would you mind?_"

Laughing, Howl rose from the floor, offering Sophie his hand as her legs didn't really seem to obey her. As she finally stood, he swept her up in his arms. "Good night, Calcifer," he said, giving the fire demon a somewhat apologizing nod. Turning to Sophie, he continued. "I've got another gift for you, my love."

He'd probably felt her tense a little as he started carrying her toward her bedroom. "Don't worry," he whispered as they were crossing the former Witch of the Waste's bed curtain. Fortunately, "Granny" still appeared to be sound asleep… but with her, Sophie knew that you never could take anything for granted.

As Howl was softly putting Sophie down on the edge of the bed, he waved his fingers in the direction of the doorframe, and a clothes box came hovering through the door, which shut itself behind it. The box landed on top of Sophie's lap.

"Open it." Howl was smiling solemnly at her.

Sophie removed the final layer of wrapping paper… and gasped. "My… it was… my mum's wedding dress… my real mum's… Howl… how did… how…?"

Softly, she unfolded it, revealing its full length. The fabric was glittering like little stars in the pale moonlight from the window.

"Just like your hair..." she heard Howl whispering, seemingly in a trance.

"But how did you find it?" Sophie once again felt the tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Sophie…" Howl himself sounded on the verge of tears. " I need to be honest with you… this is also just a… replica. We found the real one… among the scattered remains from what they saved from your real mum… but I'm afraid there wasn't much left of it… Martha was inconsolable and she let me into a secret… She said… she said you always used to say you'd never get married… but once, she caught you, trying out that dress… when you thought you were alone…

"Oh…" Sophie was speechless. In fact, she _had_ been trying that dress on, on several occasions during her early teenage years, but she'd never thought she'd been seen…

"It was then I realized how much it must have meant to you…" Howl continued, "…and I wondered why in the world we were waiting… I've made up excuses for myself all the time… but I don't want to be a coward anymore… so I had it recreated for you… It might not be perfect but-"

Without a word, Sophie pulled him into a tight embrace, and they clung to each other for what felt like an eternity.

_To be continued..._


	3. Newly Wed

_Author's notes:_

_For disclaimers and such, see the first chapter._

_Thank you *so* much for your very kind reviews! I'm truly, truly flattered! I'm going through a rather hard time IRL right now, so it's a great comfort for me, reading your comments and feedback!_

_xXCanaryXx, thank you for pointing out my grammar typo! I've corrected it, and well, this goes for all of my readers, but feel free to point out similar grammar errors and typos!_

_And ironically, this chapter does actually come with a fluff warning. I swear, there WILL be lots of angst, eventually. But considering that Sophie and Howl *are* very much in love, and that the events described in the first chapters will be of later importance to the story, it somehow *does* make sense, doesn't it? ;-)_

_–––_

Considering the circumstances, the wedding had been everything that Sophie ever could have wished for. With all the town churches in ruins, one of the remaining reverends had agreed to hold the ceremony at Howl's old cottage, which had survived the war intact. But even out here, several craters from the bombings were scattered all over the landscape. Fortunately, none of them were near the cottage, and Howl had been able to use a masking spell to hide them from view during the festivities.

They'd only intended to invite the very closest family and friends. In fact, Sophie didn't have too many close friends, and Howl had been orphaned at an early age. His uncle, who had been his guardian until he left for the School of Magic – and also once donated the cottage–was long since dead. For many years, Howl had scarcely had any friends among the villages of Porthaven, Kingsbury and Market Chipping-merely just his lady acquaintances… and in most cases, after he'd stopped seeing them, they'd all been doing their best to blacken his name. Yet Sophie was worried that they wouldn't be able to afford enough food and drink for everyone.

But lately, with all the help he had offered during the town restorations, and the fact that he was now excitedly talking about Sophie and their upcoming wedding with everyone he saw, Howl's reputation was drastically changing. There were those, of course, who would never forgive him, but many of the town residents had expressed their wishes to attend the festivities, bringing whatever food and drink they could offer in return.

And indeed, what a feast it had been! The replicated dress didn't quite have the same feel as its original, and personally Sophie had considered Howl's chosen outfit to be a tad over the top, with far too many ornaments and replicated gems attached. Not that it really even mattered.

Her sisters had been very busy, decorating the landing of the cottage with long garlands of flowers in sprouting colors. The weather had been splendid, and the kindness shown by the attending people was overwhelming.

Shortly before the ceremony, Howl had revealed to Sophie that his full name was in fact _Howell_ Jenkins, but made her swear she'd never ever call him by that name, nor encourage Markl to do so, no matter the circumstances.

"No, Howell dear, I solemnly swear," was her natural response, as she put a hand to her mouth, trying to mask her smile.

"It's not a laughing matter, Sophie," Howl said, visibly shuddering, a shadow suddenly crossing his face.

"Oh… I'm sorry…" Sophie withdrew herself a little from him, looking down.

Howl sighed, but pulled her back closer. "I'm…" His eyes flickered for a moment. "I just don't wanna talk about it, all right?"

Sophie nodded. "I promise I won't. Just… well, I'll repeat what the reverend says, when he asks me to..." She smiled.

Howl threw his head back and laughed. "You'd better. I would prefer this marriage to be legal."

–––

Like any other girl (she kept telling herself), Sophie had spent hours daydreaming about their wedding night. However, she was soon about to learn that in reality, things are sometimes turning out a little different. Or maybe a lot.

It had all started out very well. After much dancing, eating and merry making, the last guests were leaving, long after midnight. As the portal was closing behind them, Howl and Sophie were finally left alone for the first time in weeks. Sophie's sisters had agreed to take care of Markl and Granny for a couple days, and Calcifer had accompanied them back to the castle.

Overcome with emotion and desire, for a few moments all they could do was staring at each other, unable to move or act. Everything was so quiet that they could almost hear the sounds of their own hearts beating. But suddenly, a wind swept through Howl's hair, and at the same moment, about a hundred candlelights appeared out of thin air. Lighting up, they were placing themselves all over the cottage. The flower garlands expanded and grew, twirling themselves across the ceiling above the bed, that was made with the finest of linen.

Gasping, Sophie threw himself into Howl's arms, and they shared one of their most passionate kisses ever. But suddenly, Howl withdrew himself from the embrace. With a visible effort to restrain himself, he lowered his head, his brows furrowed. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he pulled back a little. "Sophie, love… I…" His eyes flickered for a moment. "I'm sorry, but I've just gotta pay a visit to the–" He nodded toward the bathroom. Attempting a somewhat mischievous look, he gave what was probably meant to be a teasing laugh, but it came out too high pitched to even seem remotely genuine. Pulling away, he released her, seemingly oblivious of the bewilderment and disappointment in her eyes. The bathroom door slammed and locked behind him.

Half an hour later , he still hadn't emerged. Sophie could hear the water running from behind the door, but there had been no word from him since he locked himself up. She was almost ready to cry and scream with frustration–curse that wizard and his bathroom rituals! Why had he even bothered to create a fully equipped bathroom for this cottage, with the great outdoors and the lake just around the corner? And what on Earth was wrong with him anyway, this was their wedding night, for crying out loud! Was he getting second thoughts? Had she been doing something wrong, and upset him?

But suddenly, just before the negative thoughts were about to seize her, as she was nearly bordering on panic and on the verge of tears, she realized that she already knew the answer. This time, Howl couldn't just kiss and run. His feelings were real… and now, knowing that this was supposed to be the night when they were starting their new life as man and wife, with all the "firsts" that were about to occur… he was probably terrified of letting her down. His old self would just have slithered away, regardless of the consequences. Most often–as he'd even stated once–the only way he could brace himself to face his fears was pretending that he wasn't doing it…

With a tired sigh, she drew her breath to call out his name, but suddenly changed her mind. Instead, she began the almost impossible task of undressing on her own. As she eventually managed to unbutton the wedding gown, it fell to the floor together with her under garments. She removed her shoes and stockings, but after setting her hair free, she pondered about it for a moment, then rolled it back into a loose bun, and fastened it with a single hairpin.

Despite the fact that her heart was beating so fast that her ears were ringing, and she was aware of that she was blushing furiously, she was still shivering as she opened up the linen closet, wrapping herself up in a large towel. Fortunately she knew that Howl kept a carpenter tool box in the storage room by the kitchen, and as quiet as possible, she collected it, picking up a pair of tongs.

The water was still running inside the bathroom, but no other sounds were heard. Resolutely, Sophie applied the tongs to the lock, and with one single thrust, she unlocked the bathroom door from the outside. With no word of warning, she slid it open. Her left hand clutching the top of the towel, holding it firmly together, she stepped in, closing the door behind her.

She was greeted by a whiff of steam, initially obscuring her vision. There was only one candle burning in a corner, casting anxiously fluttering shadows across the white walls. Howl was sitting in the overflowing tub, chest arched as cascades of water were streaming from the shower, splashing his face. At first, he didn't even see her as she stood by the tub, but suddenly, he winced so fiercely that he nearly bumped his head on the wall. The water turned itself off in an instant, and for a moment, Howl's face changed from surprise to anger, then immediate regret and shame… and he lowered his head opening his mouth to try and say something… but nothing came out and Sophie just put a finger to her lips.

"Shhh…" Very slowly, she raised her free hand to the hairpin. All that was heard was the sound of the dripping water. Howl gasped, wide-eyed, as Sophie shook her hair out and let the pin drop. Her grip on the towel gradually loosened, and it was starting to slide. Seemingly in a trance, his eyes fixated on her, Howl started to rise from the bath, his entire body trembling. But this time, he didn't run.

Several hours later, long after the light of dawn was filtering through the curtains, they finally fell asleep in each other's arms for the first time, surrounded by the scent of a thousand flowers and burned out candle lights.

And Sophie realized, that for the first time in her life, she knew what it felt like to be loved.

–––

With the current situation, Sophie and Howl had both agreed that a few days of solitude was more than enough time that could be spent away on honeymoon. And sure enough, there had been loads of work to take care of upon their return.

To begin with, the castle no longer fitted their needs. By now, Calcifer, happily aided by Markl, had managed to scramble most of the missing parts of its main construction, and also, by the use of various summoning spells, he'd even been able to find a major part of the books, furniture and ornaments, including most of Howl's old toys and even the dartboard, wizard contract still attached. But much of the stuff had just been stored in Sophie's old bedroom. The wizard and the fire demon still had to cooperate to make any major changes to the castle.

In fact, the first thing Howl did upon their return was asking Calcifer whether they could have a talk in private. By the look in Howl's eyes, Sophie knew that he probably had something of a surprise in store for her, and didn't mind at all. About half an hour later, they summoned the family once more, and they were all asked to sit on top of the kitchen table.

"Now, cover your eyes, Sophie," Howl smiled as Calcifer flew from the hearth, placing himself in front of the wizard where he was standing on top of a new diagram on the floor.

Markl was giggling with excitement as Sophie felt a wind sweeping through the room, and heard the now rather familiar sounds of walls stretching and furniture being moved around.

As she open her eyes again, a rather exhausted Howl was helping a panting Calcifer back onto his logs. And the room had completely changed. Now, there was a patio directly attached to the main living room… in fact, it was more like a garden, with real trees and flowers and lots of space for Heen and Markl to play. The bottom floor now housed a laundry room, a larger bedroom and a sewing room for Sophie, designed as her old bedroom and workshop. However, her old bed was missing and had been replaced with a sofa and a table. There was also a separate bedroom for Granny, and the downstairs bathroom had tripled in size, now complete with a tub and a shower.

Upstairs, what used to be Markl's old bedroom had become twice as large, located in a separate wing of the house, together with a smaller but fully equipped bathroom. The other wing housed the main bathroom, though now a bit larger than before, a study, and last but not least, Howl's old bedroom, that was now supposed to be _their_ bedroom. Many of Howl's shiny ornaments and toys had returned, but there were no longer any stuffed animals on the bed. The bed itself had grown somewhat larger, and the books were mostly neatly stacked into shelves. But the most prominent addition was a large window, its golden rimmed curtains a floating pattern of purple and green.

Sophie was speechless at the sight, and could hardly believe her eyes as Howl waved his hand at the ceiling of the bedroom, which opened up to the starry sky above. A spiraling flight of stairs was descending from the hole. Howl took Sophie's hand and started leading her upstairs. But suddenly, their way was blocked by Calcifer, who came jumping out of nowhere.

"Guys…" he started, an uncharacteristically humble look at his face. "There's… I do have something for you. Call it a… wedding present if you like."

He moved aside, allowing them to continue their ascent. As they reached the top of the stairs, Sophie could only gasp in amazement. It was a tall balcony on the very top of the castle, and despite the fact that it was rather dark outside, she could see that it offered a terrific view over many of the castle's new wings and windows. Yet, its visitors were granted privacy as gazing up from the opposite direction would be rather difficult.

Only then, she realized that something else had changed as well. The ground was now even father below them, and the movements of the castle were even smoother than usual. They were flying!

"Aw, Calcifer… old friend…" she heard Howl beside her as he was enjoying the view. "That is quite a gift! This is amazing!"

The fire demon actually seemed to be blushing a little before he regained his composure. "Well… as long as you're not pushing me too hard… moving the castle is, if I may remind you, not the easiest of tasks…"

"Thank you so much Calcifer!" Sophie leaned in toward him, placing a small kiss on his fiery cheek… or at least as close as she dared without being burned.

"Well, Sophie…" Howl put his arm around her shoulder, holding her close. "If there's anything you'd like to change, or add… just tell me and I'll see to it…"

"Howl…" Her voice was quivering slightly as she continued. "This is the most wonderful and perfect house I've ever seen… and now I'm living in it!"

–––

_To be continued..._


	4. Yes, There Is A Spell For That

_Author's notes:_

_Awww, thank you so much, again, xXCanaryXx , for your generous review! I did change the sentence, like you suggested, and naturally it was supposed to be "waved"... :-)_

_To answer your question–yes, I've read the book, but though I enjoyed it tremendously, I felt the movie characters of Sophie and Howl to be closer to "my" vision. By the way–make sure to read the sequels as well! They're really amusing, even though they're not centered around Howl and Sophie._

_In fact, reading the book, you'll notice that I *do* throw in some references and hints now and then... though I will leave it for my readers to find out the details. ;-)_

_By the way–I'm sorry to say that I can't make promises about any updates for the rest of this month, I'm the coordinator/editor of a magazine written in my first language, and we're just approaching the deadline for the August issue... which means loads of work for me. But I've got a lot more written on this story, and will start posting again once things settle down a bit._

_In the meantime–enjoy!_

–––

Sophie and Howl had both agreed that considering the troubled times, the food and water concerns and everything they recently had been through, now was not the right time to have children–if it was possible to wait. And yes… there _was_ a spell for that… a crimson red Sophie eventually confessed when her sisters were asking her for the umpteenth time if she was pregnant yet.

In fact, Sophie had already heard the rumors of such a spell years ago, long before she even knew Wizard Howl by name. Mothers were usually warning their daughters about wizards in general, and it was said that some of them were in fact quite promiscuous, taking the concept of "courting" to an entirely new level without having to worry about the consequences. While the girl might not find herself to be in the family way, she would often be left heartbroken and disgraced while her cavalier was turning his back on her, moving on to new challenges. Some rumors were even nastier, talking about consuming illness following in the young wizards' tracks, obviously related to the courting.

Naturally, similar things had been said about Howl. But judging from the way he'd been acting on their wedding night, his previous attempts at courting had been just as innocent as with her, limited to the holding of hands and the occasional kisses. (And the flattering that was worthy of a Master's degree, Sophie sarcastically mused to herself). From what Lettie had told her, few men were willing (or even capable) of downplaying their experience with love. But if that, against the odds, was the case with Howl… she didn't want to know anyway.

She was, however, aware of that Howl had been familiar with the infertility spell long before they met. It could be, and was in fact likely, that he'd found it in one of the hundreds of books that cluttered the castle. And particularly during the dark times of war, it was one of the most requested spells from Howl's customers. Those customers were often quite distinguishable from the lot–standing at the doorstep, even the middle aged men were usually blushing like school boys. Some of them brought their female partners, but Sophie was quite surprised to see that even many women came alone. Obviously, the spell worked both ways.

Howl was always granting his customers' requests, showing them into another room where they could talk in private. If Markl was near, (disguised or not), the wizard would always give him a sharp look that allowed no arguments, and if he didn't leave for his room at once, he'd make him run with just a flutter of his fingers. Should anyone request such a spell while Markl was alone at home, he was under strict orders to ask them to wait until his master was back, without further questions.

Judging by the fact that there were no complaints, the spell (and its counter spell) seemed to be working flawlessly. Still, Howl had–obviously much to his own surprise-been terrified when he was about to use it on himself, a few days before the wedding. Sophie had offered to take it instead, but he wouldn't let her. "God forbid, should something happen to me, I'd never ever want you to be stuck with such a spell, no matter that there are others than me who could reverse it." "Besides," he added with a wry smile, "I'll finally know what my customers feel like…"

Sophie nodded with a swelling feeling of proudness. This was the new Howl speaking-still sensitive, but determined to battle his fears.

They were sitting on Howl's bed, bedroom door closed. Everyone else were sound asleep and even the castle appeared to be holding its breath. Howl was supporting himself on his tightly closed fists, looking as if he couldn't decide whether to rise from the bed or not. He was very pale, trembling so badly that Sophie could feel it through the mattress.

"Just go ahead and do it, then, Howl." She gently stroke his cheek. It felt clammy to the touch. "It's not like the end of the world if it shouldn't work… I want to have children some day, you know… of that I'm certain."

Howl drew a deep, trembling breath. "Oh, Sophie… just… hold me…"

Sophie had to force back a small giggle that threatened to escape her lipst, but she moved herself closer to him, hugging him from behind, leaning her head against his neck. "Just do it, Howl," she whispered. "You'll be fine…"

A few moments passed in silence. Then, with a jolt, Howl's hands flew forward, did a couple motions as he bolted off the bed… and then, his body went limp as he sank back down again, gasping. "I did it… I did it…"

"Are you all right?" Sophie's heart was still pounding in her ears after this sudden fright.

To her relief, his mouth was starting to twitch. "I did it… and guess what… I really _didn't_ hurt one bit!" He flopped backwards onto the bed, suddenly breaking down with laughter.

Sophie threw her head back. "AARGH!" she yelled in mocked frustration, grabbing a pillow, and whacking it over his face. Both were now howling with laughter. Curling up beside her soon-to-be-husband, she pressed her face against his shoulder, wetting it with tears of joy.

As the laughter eventually faded, Howl drew her even closer. Rolling over, he put his other arm around her, gently stroking her back.

"Is there any… way of knowing the spell actually worked?" Sophie wondered.

Howl's lips stretched into a teasing smile as he was propping himself up on his elbow. "My my, someone's eager to find out." He met her eyes with a meaning glance, his eyebrows twitching.

"HOWL!" Blushing furiously, Sophie was grasping for the pillow again. "I didn't mean it like that, and you know it!"

"No, but seriously, Sophie, there's no way of telling… yet," he smiled. "Most people don't feel anything… me neither. But we won't have to wait too long now, to find out…"

–––

Indeed, the spell seemed to be working as intended. About a month after the wedding there were still no signs of pregnancy, and from what Howl and Sophie could tell, there were no other ill effects.

After her sisters had had the existence of the spell confirmed, Sophie was soon to notice that the number of blushing customers from Market Chipping was rapidly increasing. If she happened to be the one answering the door, she was very well aware of that they were all glancing at her abdomen. She couldn't really muster up any anger toward Martha and Lettie… after all, gossiping was a part of human nature, and the more customers, the better the chances to be able to provide the family with decent food…

Some people, however, were less than overjoyed with the phenomenon. One afternoon, a plump and very pregnant woman was banging on the Market Chipping door, so hard that pieces of the plaster were peeling off the doorway. The woman demanded to speak to Howl, and Sophie was surprised to hear that she was using his first name, without the wizard prefix. At the sight of her, Calcifer yelped and hurriedly hid under his logs. Markl and Granny were out, playing with Heen in the backyard.

For once, Howl was home rather early, and at the sound of the woman's voice, he came bolting down the stairs. "Dana! What a surprise… What are you doing here? I thought you were still living in Porthaven?"

Despite the fact that this lady now must be married to someone else, Sophie felt a sting of jealousy. Howl obviously knew her from before, and judging from the tension in his voice, their relationship had been more than… casual…

"I got married to a man from Market Chipping," she replied in a snappy voice. "But contrary to what seems to be the norm around here nowadays, my husband married me because he wanted me to mother our children… children who deserve to live, and be born just whenever God wants them to! And _that's_ what marriage should be all about–not just a pathetic excuse for getting the girl into bed without having to face the responsibilities that come with adulthood! But hey, what am I thinking, we're talking about _you_ here… Great. Wizard. Howl. Or is it Jenkins or Pendragon these days? Now that is not exactly my definition of "responsible"…"

"Now hold on just a minute!" Sophie felt her blood boiling as she started moving across the room, intending to place herself between the woman and Howl. However, before she was able to continue her scolding she was silenced by a dismissive wave of Howl's hand. Instead, he walked up beside her, putting an arm around her waist.

"Dana. I want you to leave my house now," he demanded, still with a rather soft, but determined voice. "Leave now… before I have to use any force necessary."

"Oh, I'm leaving all right." With something that sounded like a mix between a stifled giggle and a snort, she started backing out the door. "But what you're doing is wrong. It's unnatural! And be aware, there are many people out here sharing my opinion–trust me, you will be punished… one way or another. And I will be back."

With a slam that sent the china rattling on the kitchen shelf, she shut the door behind her.

Howl was just about to say something, his fists tightly clasped, as Sophie saw that Markl had returned from the garden, obviously curious by the commotion. Eyes wide, he starred at the door.

"Sophie… master Howl… What does she mean, "unnatural?" Are you to be punished?" His eyes were wide open in fear.

Sophie sighed in frustration, rolling her eyes as she was glancing at Howl. But her husband just shrugged, reaching out his free hand and putting it on Markl's shoulder. "Markl, we're wizards. Should everyone reason like her, everything we do would be considered punishable. Magic in itself isn't natural."

"She said she was coming back… with others…"

Howl was rubbing Markl's shoulder. "Don't you worry. Neither blob men nor mobs of angry females will make it through this door. Though she used to be quite a handful, even back then," he added with a smirk.

"Arrgh," Sophie blurted out in annoyance, making a vain attempt to break herself loose. "No details… if you _please_!"

_To be continued..._


	5. Then, There Was Nothing But Silence

_Author's notes:_

_Whew, the magazine is finally out! But judging by the nationality of the readers of this fic, there's no use for me posting a link, since you wouldn't understand a word anyway. ;-)_

_This has, however, been a week of hard labor and much more is to come. Life is not exactly smiling at me at the moment, but trust me, I'll keep on writing. Your kind reviews and words mean SO much to me, you have no idea!_

_This is a rather short chapter–the next one will be much longer (and *that* is a chapter worth looking forward to!) Can't make any promises about when, but within the next two too three weeks, I guess._

_And by the way–this chapter *does* contain some angst. At least some. ;-)_

–––

Granny had seemed to enjoy herself tremendously at the wedding. The sight of her eyes nearly running over during the ceremony had almost made Sophie lose it too. (Her sisters and Honey had been crying nonstop, but that was to be expected. They usually took every chance they got to bawl their eyes out over trifles.) The former Witch of the Waste had been showering Howl and Sophie with compliments of their attire, how beautiful they looked together and of course, what a handsome man Howl was.

But as they returned from their honeymoon, they'd both become aware of a change in her behavior. Before, she'd had her senile spells and bad days now and then, but quite a few moments of clarity in between. Now, however, she hardly ever spoke a word. She spent most of her day in bed, sleeping, or sitting at the patio, her eyes sort of glazed over, as if her mind was wandering far away.

One morning, she was refusing to take any food. As Sophie tried to feed her, she just shook her head at the spoon, a slight, solemn smile on her face. No matter what they tried, they couldn't make her eat–or even drink, for that matter. Markl graciously offered his rations of the genuine food, but to no avail. The next morning, she remained the same, a sad determination in her eyes as she was turning away from the spoon.

In the afternoon of the second day, Howl desperately started rummaging through his bookshelves for an adequate spell, but Sophie walked up to him from behind, putting her arms around his waist, gently pulling him away. "Howl… listen…" she said in a soft voice. "There are things that even magic can't… or should prevent…"

Howl's body softened in her embrace, and quietly, he buried his head on her shoulder, holding her hands in his as he was shivering with sobs. Gradually, she felt the fabric over her collarbone getting wet.

On the morning of the third day, there was no change. Granny was hardly able to open her eyes as Sophie tried to rustle her awake. She was still refusing any nourishment. The fourth night, Howl and Sophie both sat by her side, listening to her breaths as they were gradually getting shallower and longer and longer in between. Just before the first light of dawn, she drew a last, shuddering breath… and then, there was nothing but silence.

The reverend who had conducted their wedding offered to take the funeral as well, but he couldn't negotiate the costs. Only one of the cemeteries in Market Chipping had been reopened and cleared of debris, and with the massive number of casualties of the war and in its wake, the waiting list for a funeral was long and expensive. Naturally, Sophie and Howl offered everything they could afford. Even Markl insisted on paying his share from his savings, and since both of them were aware of that for him, this meant so much more than the contribution of money in itself, they allowed the donation.

They would never have been able to afford a tombstone, but fortunately Howl was allowed to use a summoning spell to bring a rock, later magically sculptured to perfection. Markl was begging to be given a try with the inscription, and Howl and Sophie naturally gave their permission. It took the boy several hours, and much guidance from Howl, to summon the magic needed to affect the surface of the stone. But eventually, four words, sculptured in somewhat childish letters, appeared:

""GRANNY"–LOVED, MISSED, REMEMBERED."

After the funeral, they were covering the ground in front of the tombstone with all kinds of flowers that could be found in the meadows surrounding the cottage. Sophie was once again reminded of Heen's intelligence as he too, his tail low and his eyes filled with sadness, carefully placed a single rose on top of the heap, bowing in curtesy.

Of course, many tears were shed throughout the process, and Sophie was certain even Calcifer would have wept, had it not been for the risk of putting himself out in the process. But the first few days after the funeral, Howl had been next to inconsolable. He was crying until he'd drained himself of tears and energy, then lying curled up on their bed, facing the wall, refusing to eat and even come downstairs at all. He was hardly saying a word, more or less ignoring Sophie's inquires on how he felt or if he needed anything.

Eventually, Sophie nearly lost her temper. "Howl, listen. We're all devastated from what happened, but life _must_ go on! We need you–I need you, and Markl needs you too! Imagine what it will do to him–he's already lost both of his parents, and his granny… and now he's terrified that something is happening to you too!"

At her words, Howl let out a faint whimper, as if he was in pain… but then, he slowly turned over, finally facing her. He lifted his arm, indicating that he wanted her to lay down beside him. His face was swollen from all the tears. Letting out a resigned sigh, Sophie sat down on the bed, and let herself be drawn down into a trembling embrace.

"I'm sorry…" Howl gasped. "But… once, she was powerful… wise, and stunningly beautiful. Then… she became obsessed with power and greed… people started fearing and loathing her instead… and now, at her death… no one even remembered her real name…"

Sophie stroke his bangs aside, uncovering his half-shut eyes. "_We_ will remember her, and _that_ was the only thing that mattered to her in the end…" Sensing there was something more behind his words, she continued. "And you are… and you _were_ _not_ like her. Even without your heart… you never forgot how to cry."

–––

As Howl was finally rising from bed, walking down the stairs, Sophie followed behind. Markl was sitting by the kitchen table, absently looking at the rain outside the window. Heen had placed himself on top of his feet. There was a deep sense of sadness surrounding them.

Without a word, Howl walked up to the table, and bending over, he pulled Markl into a tight embrace. A little startled at first, Markl stiffened, but with a quick look at Sophie, he succumbed, returning the affection. Even Calcifer did a double take with surprise.

_Like father and son._ A warm sensation spread through Sophie's body.

–––

_To be continued..._


	6. A Less Graceful Spell

_Author's notes:_

_Thank you so much, dear readers, for your kind words! They truly flatter me, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I'm always very grateful for your comments, and also, feel free to point out any grammar and spelling oddities!_

_This chapter is a loooong one... but I really enjoyed writing it, it's one of my favorites so far, to be honest... and I hope you'll enjoy reading it just as much. This is also the last of the episodes that are set in the past, and from the next chapter on, we're back in the present! You might see a couple hints in this chapter that the level of angst is steadily increasing, and things aren't just as fluffy all the time..._

_Anyway, so let's get on with the story!_

_–––  
><em>

Sometimes, Sophie mused, Howl's predictions at his wedding proposal weren't far from the truth. He wasn't always an easy man to live with.

Sure, he always had enough charm to melt her, most often even when she was in the foulest of moods. When sharing their moments as husband and wife, there was always a lot of passion between them… oh, just the mere thought of it made her blush… but foremost, Howl had a great need of intimacy… _closeness_… sometimes reminding her of a loved starved child. Still not quite comfortable during the darkest hours of the night, he would often ask her to hold him in her arms until he fell asleep. On several other occasions she'd woken up, feeling all out of breath, her head deeply buried in the pillow… only to find him sprawled across her back, clinging to her in his sleep.

However… no, she didn't want to call him immature, as little as she wanted to change him… but there were still areas of his personality that, well, might be in need of some work. She knew he was trying hard to better his ways, but it wasn't always a straight road. Every time he'd face a somewhat uncomfortable situation, part of him instinctively tried to escape. Usually, though, all it took was a bit of encouragement (or sometimes a sharp look) from her to make him stand up for himself.

If he found something to be particularly dull or not in need of immediate attention (which was the case with most of the household chores, in his opinion), his attention span was usually very short, and he was easily distracted. However, as _he_ got caught up in something himself (most often the invention of a more or less useful spell, or sometimes, just an interesting book), he often got so immersed that he forgot about everything; the time and his physical needs as well as everyone around him. Sophie had learned that though he usually _did_ complete any task or favor asked from him, his definition of "right away" rarely complied with hers.

She had become very well aware of that physically, Howl wouldn't be very strong if stripped of his magical powers. Even though he'd put on a little bit of weight since Sophie's arrival, he was still almost too thin for his own good. Considering his sometimes self-detached behavior, the combination was far from ideal. As Sophie first had come to live with them, Markl had told her that Howl didn't eat much, and for the most part, he slept even less. But the fact was–he _did_ need at least four steady meals per day and a good night's sleep to keep up with his hard working schedule. Despite Sophie's ministrations, he often forgot about eating, and furthermore, he seldom realized the exhaustion and temper tantrums that followed had anything to do with the fact that he was famished.

Had he been going without nourishment for too long, he always lost his appetite, complaining about headache and nausea as Sophie tried to coax him into eating. As soon as she'd made him take anything, he always felt much better, but this scenario was repeating itself over and over again. Maybe part of it was due to his constant need of attention, but he just never seemed to learn.

One day, when Howl was out on his usual business, Prince Justin of Strangia, formerly known as the Turniphead, fulfilled his promise and came to visit them at the castle, via the Market Chipping portal. Of course, Sophie was glad to see him, and would always be grateful for everything he'd done for them. But even though he didn't say anything right away, it was clear to her that from the way he acted, and judging by the magnificent bouquet of flowers he'd brought her, his true intention was still to win her heart, and making her leave the castle. This made her feel slightly uncomfortable–but there was nothing she couldn't handle.

In a way, she felt truly sorry for him, knowing that he did care for real… and there was a great sadness behind his desperate obsession. Despite the obvious fact that he was being somewhat delusional and still believed she was in for a change of hearts, she definitely didn't want to lose him as a friend… a _family_ friend…

She was also very grateful for his other gifts–some fresh meat, potatoes and vegetables from the royal farms that had survived the war, and a real cake with fresh cream for dessert. It was even more than enough for one meal. Naturally, the least she could do was inviting him to stay for dinner, hoping for Howl to be home soon. However, Howl's definition of "dinnertime" greatly varied from time to time. She eventually decided not to wait for him, and they started their meal.

Initially, there was a rather uncomfortable silence between Sophie and Prince Justin, but fortunately, Calcifer knew just the very right question to ask–could Justin please tell them a little about the peace talks? Obviously quite relieved, the prince said it would be an honor indeed, and thus, he began to tell the epic and complex story about the war between the kingdoms of Ingary and Strangia. Sophie even found a way to include Markl in the conversation, gaining his interest by breaking it down to his level of understanding. The boy took the bite, and as always, he was asking very clever questions.

In fact, Sophie mused to herself, this task might prove to be far more complicated for prince Justin than the peace talks. Markl had just questioned why in the world Justin's aunt had taken a _presumed_ insult from an Ingarian minister so seriously that she'd successfully persuaded the king to launch an attack on the Ingarian cities.

The prince, seemingly thrown off guard, was doing his best to make Markl change the subject, blushing and stuttering slightly, fighting hard to maintain his composure. But Markl didn't budge. "Must have been quite an insult?" he said, an innocent expression on his face. But Sophie, torn between the urge to laugh out loud or try to lead the conversation into another direction, knew that there was more behind the question than Markl let on.

"Rumors said, that he referred to her as 'corpulent' or some such," Justin admitted, taking a deep breath, trying to move on.

Markl, however, was still persistent. "Shouldn't royalties know better than fussing over insults like that?" he mused. "Unless…" he continued, before Justin had a chance to open his mouth again, "…unless… she actually _is_, like… fat for real?"

"_Markl!_" Sophie scolded, wishing she could sink through the floor.

But to her surprise, Justin was just laughing, so hard that he found it difficult to speak. "It's all right," he managed. "Your assumption is rather correct, young man. I would refer to her as… a woman of… considerable size."

Sophie did her best to stifle a giggle, and failed. "But still… Markl, really, you shouldn't make fun of fat people."

Markl's eyes were wide open as he gave her that innocent look again. "But I didn't! I just meant you should feel sorry for her!"

At that moment, his reaction reminded her so much of what Howl would do, facing a similar situation. Sophie couldn't hold back the laughter no more. She made a dismissive gesture with her right hand, while covering her mouth with the other. "I'm sorry, Justin…"

"It's all right," the prince assured her, and for a moment, they all forgot that war really wasn't a laughing matter. Even Calcifer was crackling from the hearth.

Just then, the dial above the door turned, the door slid open and Howl's silhouette became visible in the doorway. As usual, Sophie's heart leapt at the sight. This time, it was beating so hard she could hardly breathe. "Howl!" She rose from the table to greet him. "Look who's here!"

Howl lifted his eyes, and she saw that he had obviously had a very bad day. His clothes were stained with dirt, and he was probably in desperate need of a bath. Squinting for a moment as if to focus, he appeared to be surveying the scene in front of him. Sophie's heart sank when she saw his eyes turning from clear blue to ice cold. She was almost uncertain he'd greet her in his usual fashion, but he promptly swept her up in his arms, kissing her. However, there was no genuine feeling behind his actions; this was obviously just a show off to be displayed in front of Justin.

"I'm sorry we couldn't wait for you, dear," Sophie heard herself saying. "I had no idea when you'd be coming back… but there's still plenty left for you…"

"Master Howl!" Markl exclaimed, obviously oblivious to his master's state of mind. "Justin brought us some _real_ food, look!"

Howl took a deep breath through clenched teeth, reaching out his hand, taking Justin's with a plastered smile. "Prince Justin. How delightful to see you."

"Wizard Howl, the pleasure is all mine," Justin replied, just as dryly.

Sophie sighed inwardly, rolling her eyes as she rose to start preparing the dessert.

Howl's eyes were sweeping the scene, and he was still speaking in an overly formal manner. "I'm very sorry to tell you that I won't be able to join you on this happy occasion. I have very urgent matters to attend. But please, don't let me interrupt."

Before Sophie had the slightest chance to open her mouth, Howl had already swept up the stairs, and she could hear a door slamming shut. From the sound of the hinges, she knew he'd been locking himself up in the bedroom, not the studio. _Urgent matters indeed…_

Initially, she was almost overcome with feelings of guilt… but gradually, she felt them merging into anger. She had done nothing wrong! If Howl was in a sour mood, it was his problem… though she'd definitely have a talk with him later.

Prince Justin gave her a worried look. "Are you all right, Sophie?"

She nodded. "Don't worry."

"Are you certain? I don't want to intrude…."

"It's nothing that can't wait." She reached for the teapot. "Here, have some tea."

Markl was glancing at her questioningly, but she gave him a sharp look in return, and his eyes turned back to his plate.

"So," Sophie managed a smile. "Where were we?"

Albeit bit hesitant at first, Justin resumed his story. However, Sophie found it harder to focus by the minute. Though she tried her best to stop them, her eyes were constantly drifting up the stairway.

As the first word of profanity was slipping through the mouth of the royal prince, Sophie winced and snapped out of her thoughts, thinking at first she must have misheard. At first, Justin appeared to be totally unaware, but a few moments later he suddenly froze mid sentence, looking dazed, his cheeks turning red. "Oh Sophie! I'm sorry… I don't understand…"

"It's all right, don't worry," Sophie assured him, but within her, a feeling of suspicion and dread was rising in her stomach. _Please_, she pleaded to herself. _Just let it be a natural slip of the tongue…_

Prince Justin, still a bit taken aback but determined to continue, started over with his last sentence. Markl, initially just as puzzled as Sophie, was once again listening attentively. However, as he gently interrupted, asking Justin to clarify something regarding the degrees within the military, Sophie was truly horrified to see Justin's right index finger making its way to one of his nostrils, an absent look in his eyes. As he removed it, treads of slime were hanging from the tip of his nail.

Sophie's heart sank, and she gasped with anger. There was no doubt whatsoever in her mind, she knew exactly who was behind this. She clenched her fists in the pockets of her apron. Markl's eyes were wide as saucers as he dropped his spoon.

"Soophie…" Calcifer hissed a faint warning from the hearth, nodding in the direction of the stairs.

"Justin…" she prodded, and at her voice, the prince winced. "_God dammit!_" he exclaimed, before becoming himself again. Looking at his finger, he paled, quickly hiding it in his handkerchief. At the same time, his face turned the most prominent shade of red, and pearls of sweat were forming on his brow. He looked as if he was about to cry with humiliation. "I… I don't know what's got… what's got into me…" he stuttered.

_But _I _know_, Sophie thought to herself. "Look, Justin… this castle is pretty much alive. The mere atmosphere can play funny tricks on people who aren't accustomed to magic…"

Markl opened his mouth as if to say something, but fortunately, he was wise enough to stay quiet. Sophie was aware of what a terrible liar she was, but apparently, Justin accepted her explanation, and though some color remained on his cheeks, he was quickly regaining his royal composure. "Very well," he managed. "But there are no words that could describe how sorry I am… magic or not… Let me please make it up to you by inviting you–and your lovely family–to my castle… for a royal dinner, as soon as things have stabilized a little more around here…"

Sophie nodded. "Thank you. We would be delighted. And _I_ am the one who should apologize… similar things _have_ happened in the past…"

"Don't you worry, dear Sophie. You're a damn bloody excellent hostess… oh, sorry… but I mean, you are… and despite… this, whatever it might be… it's been delightful to see you again."

"Thank you" she nodded. _And I'm gonna tan a certain wizard's hide_, she made a silent promise to herself.

Maybe Justin was sensing her anger, but suddenly, it all seemed to be dawning on him. His eyes got dark and she could see his teeth clench. For a moment, she was almost certain he'd run up the stairs and challenge the wizard to a full blown fight. Not that Howl didn't deserve it, but she was still relieved when the prince's diplomatic side apparently took over. He put down his spoon on the empty plate, rising from the table, but not in a haste. "I think I'd better be on my way home soon. It's been a long day… and I think you have other, more important matters to attend to…"

At this, he suddenly let out a thundering belch. This time, he seemed totally unaware. Markl winced, once again looking at Sophie, who did her best to suppress a reaction. She drew a deep breath. "All right. Markl, dear, can you please wash up the dishes? I'll go see Prince Justin to the door."

"Yes, Sophie." Markl, still obviously having a hard time trying to understand what was going on, exchanged a look with Calcifer, who was rolling his eyes.

"Goodbye, Markl… Calcifer…" Justin nodded to the pair. "I'll see you two soon, I'm sure."

"Thank you so much, prince Justin!" Markl said, before turning his attention to the dishes.

Sophie followed Justin to the door, and much to her surprise, he opened it for her, gesturing her to follow him outside. She complied, and he firmly closed the door behind her.

"Justin, what…?" she started.

"Sophie…" Justin sighed. "I'm concerned. Don't worry about me, but _you_ do not deserve this embarrassment, what he just did to _you_ is–"

Having to muster up all the strength she had to control her anger, Sophie interrupted. "Look. I may not agree with his behavior all the time–and certainly not right now, I can assure you, I'll have a long talk to him at once. But I love Howl… and he has been, and _is_ very kind to me. I couldn't ask for a better husband and I'm happy here. I think it's pretty obvious that he loves me back. I appreciate your concern, but this discussion will be of no use."

Justin nodded, a somewhat defeated look in his eyes. "I understand. But I still want to keep my promise–you're all welcome to visit me at the castle, _even_ Howl, as long as he's feeling up to it. Also, I promise I will soon return for another visit… if that is all right with you, of course. I desperately need to see you again, Sophie, and I want to make sure you'll be all right–"

Sophie nodded. "You will always be welcome here, and there will be no more silliness, I will see to that. Just… try not to get your hopes up… regarding me, I mean. I do not want to disappoint you. You're a good, caring friend, prince Justin."

Justin took her hand, kissing it gently. "You could never disappoint me, Sophie Hat…err, Jenkins. Farewell. Some things are worth waiting for."

Lifting his hat with a twitching of the eyebrows and a smile, he swiftly turned around and walked away without another word. Sophie rolled her eyes, stomping her foot in frustration. Sometimes, she was convinced the world would be such a better place without men. Save perhaps Markl, but then again, considering that Howl was the closest thing to a father he'd ever get, she was not looking forward to his coming of age…

But though she often could see Howl's expressions mirrored on the boy's face, Markl seemed to be unusually resilient to adopting his most annoying behaviors. He rarely threw any tantrums, and though he, like any other children, appreciated attention and care whenever he was sick or sad or just in need of some company, he would never overdo it. Sophie had had to teach him some table manners and one or two things about cleaning, but she rarely had to remind him twice, and most often, he was eager to help her out. This was in fact rather remarkable, considering how things had been before she came, and judging by Markl's words, especially before the war broke out.

Of course, she didn't want to press Markl for information, but there were many things she was glad she didn't know before her first encounter with Howl. Sometimes, the boy's tongue had slipped as the two of them had been talking in private, and he'd hinted that not so long ago, Howl had been totally unable to handle any money whatsoever. Everything he'd earned from his customers had been spent on fancy clothes, silly gifts for his female friends and far too many bottles of red wine. Food was not a matter of great importance. It was Calcifer who had made sure Markl got a wallet of his own, saving his money for edibles.

Though Howl had rarely let any of his female acquaintances into the castle–in fact, the only times Markl had seen any of them at the door, they had been there to scold him–he was often out late, sometimes returning in the early hours of the morning, so drunk that he could hardly make it to bed.

At least, so much had changed. Sophie had never seen him drunk, not even at their wedding, and the Howl she knew had always kept track of the money, making sure his family would never starve. But his behavior this evening definitely had to be dealt with. Right now. Clenching her fists, she opened the door again, and just giving a brief nod to Markl and Calcifer, she ran up the stairs. She didn't even consider knocking on the bedroom door before yanking it open.

The room was only dimly lit. Howl was sitting on the bed, his back against the door. He didn't even move as he heard the door open. Sophie entered, closing the door firmly behind her. "Would you mind telling me what this is all about?"

Howl sighed, still facing the wall. "What? What are you on about?" he said in a tired voice. "I'm just not hungry, that's all."

Now blazing with anger, Sophie had to bite her lip to control herself. "Stop lying to me, Howl!" she sputtered. "The disgrace spell! Didn't you think I'd recognize it? It is disgusting, and so not fair! Especially not in front of Markl!"

Another sigh. Howl was still facing the wall. His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Well, I'm sorry I ruined your happy reunion."

"What on Earth are you talking about?"

Howl was finally turning around to face her, looking like a defiant child. "Isn't it quite obvious what his intentions are? Pretty flowers… food that would suit a royal feast…"

"Howl, for Goodness sake! Justin is a friend, and after everything he's done for us, inviting him to dinner was the least I could do! And as for his other intentions, what do you think of me, really? Just because we were having a good time–because yes, we _were_ having a good time–it doesn't mean I'd ever consider leaving you! Don't you trust the fact that I love you?"

Her voice nearly broke at the last sentence, but she managed to keep herself together as she continued. "In fact–we were waiting for you, but you were late! And with the spell, what were you trying to accomplish?"

Moaning, Howl hid his face in his hands, rubbing his forehead. "Oh yeah, once again, the good for nothing wizard just blew it" he muttered. "At least it's a good thing knowing you have several men to choose from should something happen to me…"

Letting her arms fall to her sides, Sophie felt as all air had left her. Was he trying to get her pity? It certainly wouldn't work. She waved her hands in frustration. "Would you _please_ stop your wailing! And you should at least remember that had it not been for Justin, none of us would have been here! He actually saved our lives, you know!"

There was another moan from Howl, and then, he got that glass marble look in his eyes… obviously sinking into a catatonic state. Soon, his forehead and hands were glistening with what eventually would be buckets of green, putrid smelling slime.

"Howl!" Sophie warned. "Stop it. And I mean STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" So enraged that she was completely unaware of her actions, she picked up a glass from the bedside table closest to her and threw it against the wall, full force. On its way through the air, it hit several of Howl's ornaments and baubles before shattering into a thousand pieces.

Howl jerked upright with a jolt, snapping out of his tantrum, seemingly surprised himself. Breathing heavily, Sophie felt her legs buckle and she sank down into a sitting position on the floor. She felt the tears silently running down her cheeks. The only sounds that were heard were their heavy breathing and the ornaments hanging from the ceiling quivering anxiously.

"I… I'm sorry, Sophie…" Howl managed before rising from the bed, his clothes sticking tightly to his body, and a big, wet stain slowly forming on the back of his shirt. There was already a wet spot on the bed where he'd been sitting. Walking past her, reminding her of a dog with its tail between its legs, he opened the door and wordlessly headed for the bathroom, leaving only a thin trail of slime behind him.

Sophie rose from the floor, heading downstairs, without even the faintest thought of cleaning up the mess. She seated herself by the kitchen table once more, wiping her eyes before supporting her head in her hands. Markl had taken care of the kitchen as promised, and in fact he'd done a very good job. Now, she could once again hear him from the patio, happily playing with Heen. She sighed.

Suddenly Calcifer spoke from the hearth. "So, how is our drama que… err, king? I can smell the stuff all the way from here…" He wrinkled his nose. "I even got the hot water coming without him asking for it."

Sophie gave a tired laugh. "At least I made him snap out of it… I think…"

Calcifer did a double take. "You made him *snap out* of it? A green slime fit?" Wow. That must be a first."

Sophie once again gave a dry laugh. "Whatever. But I got really, really disappointed with him there."

Calcifer nodded. "You're not alone. The mind control spell was not a clever thing to do. He'll probably regret it in the morning. Using magic for malicious purposes, jealously probably being the most common cause, will always have its consequences. Headache, fever or stomach upset." He smirked. "I'd probably vote for the latter. He deserves it. He's terrified of vomiting unless he's too drunk to care. But then again, that wouldn't be fair to you, having to care for him…"

Sophie snorted. "Oh. trust me, I'd take that before the green slime any day."

Calcifer chuckled, but then, suddenly, he turned serious. "But Sophie, Howl loves you, more than life itself. He would never intentionally hurt you… though there are some mistakes that everyone has to learn from to get on with life. Only… he hasn't. Yet. But eventually, he will, because thanks to you, Sophie, he's got every intention of doing so…"

Sophie smiled, a warm feeling filling her chest. "Calcifer, you're the best…"

The fire demon crackled. "When it comes to being honest, you're definitely right. Then I'm certainly the best. Within these walls, anyway."

Sophie rose from the table, reaching out a hand as if she was giving the fire demon a light pat on his back before heading for the patio door. "Markl, Heen!* she called out. "Bedtime!"

"All right!" Markl replied, and albeit a bit reluctantly, he soon got back inside.

"Just take a shower before slipping into that nightshirt… and make sure not to forget to brush your teeth!"

"I will," the boy assured her.

She placed a kiss on his forehead, ruffling his hair as he clung to her in a very tight good night hug. "Good night, Markl!"

"Good night, Sophie!" He ran upstairs, the dog in tow, and she could hear him calling out a "Good night, master Howl!" outside the bathroom door. There was a muffled reply from inside.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and she could hear Howl's footsteps in the upstairs hallway. To her surprise, she heard a clanking from the cleaning cabinet downstairs. It appeared as if he was about to summon a mop, cleaning up in a traditional way… well, almost, anyway. But she would not lift a finger to help him this time.

There was a bustle of activity from the hallway and the bedroom, and sometimes an occasional splash of water, mixed with the rustle of sheets and blankets. Eventually, the cleaning cabinet rattled anew, and then, she could hear soft, somewhat hesitant footsteps from the top of the stairs. Howl's head was still somewhat bowed in shame as he got down. Sophie rose from the table, and without a word, he swept her into a warm embrace. "Oh God, Sophie," he whispered into her ear. Why am I such a fool… I don't know what got into me. I swore I'd never ever control you in any way, and look what I did! How could you ever forgive me?"

"It's all right," she assured him, hugging him back. "I think you've learned your lesson. And judging from what Calcifer says, you might have other consequences to expect." She smirked teasingly as she released him.

Howl visibly paled. "Let's _not_ talk about that right now, all right? And I know I owe Prince Justin an apology. I will write him first thing in the morning."

Sophie felt she had to downplay her enthusiasm for a bit, not really letting on just how relieved she felt. She took his hand, squeezing it gently, then silently kissing his fingers as he lifted it to stroke her cheek. "It's a very good idea, I think."

Howl turned to Calcifer who was listening from his usual spot, supporting his flaming elbows on a log. "Old friend… think you can do me a last favor before bedtime?"

Calcifer rolled his eyes, sighing in his usual over dramatic manner. "And what would that be?"

"Can you please heat up some of that leftover dinner for me? If there _are_ still any leftovers, that is," he added, winking at his beloved.

"But of course." Sophie suddenly burst with laughter. "I might help you out a _little_… if you keep your promises."

Howl chuckled. "I will. You have my word."

–––

Pushing his empty plate aside, Howl gave a contented sigh. "This was truly delicious," he stated. "As usual for your cooking, of course," he added with a wink.

Sophie took the wet dish rag from the sink, throwing it at him. "Flatterer!" she teased.

Howl ducked just in time, and it hit the wall behind him. "Miss!" he stated.

With mocked anger, Sophie picked up the water bucket from beside the fire place. There was not much left in it, but enough to–

"Oh, don't you _dare_!" Howl threatened her, his mouth twitching.

"What if I do?" Sophie swung the bucket backwards, and then forward in a rush. Calcifer yelped, but she wasn't aiming in his direction. However, a split second before the water would have splashed Howl's face, he made a swift motion with his hand, and it changed directions mid air, now aiming for Sophie. But as she'd already put up her hands in protection, some of the water recoiled, showering them both.

Both of them were now howling with laughter, and Sophie had to support herself against the sink.

"Cheater!" she cried.

"Wizard tormentor!"

"Well, oh, how original," she said in a mocking voice.

"What do you expect? I'm tired…" Howl put up a suffering face.

"So you think you're tired? What would that make _me_, then?" Sophie countered.

"Why don't you two just go to bed?" Calcifer sighed.

"Oh, trust me, we will, but there's just some cleaning to do first." Sophie grabbed the plate, but Howl shook his head. "No, seriously, love–"

Sweeping her up in his arms, he headed towards the stairs. Behind them, Sophie could hear the kitchen cleaning itself.

"Goodnight, Calcifer" they both said in unison. They got a small "mhm" in response.

"I've changed the sheets." Howl probably expected more than Sophie's quiet "thank you" in return, but once again she didn't want to flatter his ego unnecessary.

Despite waking up the next morning to a pounding headache and a rather high temperature, Howl was determined to keep his promise. Propped up against a pile of pillows, using a tray for support, he actually did write a long letter for the prince, sincerely apologizing and all the same accepting his invitation to the castle some time in the future.

Sophie was still quite surprised to find him much less demanding of attention this time, considering his rather poor state. Though he spent most of the day in bed, he only really called for her once, as he thought he was about to be sick. Calcifer was right, the mere thought of vomiting seemingly made him panic. Though Howl hadn't spoken of it openly (and Sophie definitely didn't want to drag it out of him), she suspected that there was more to this than the disgracefulness of the situation in itself. She had concluded that some time during Howl's childhood, there had been a traumatic incident involving sickness and abandonment. Intense nausea would probably trigger these memories as well. Without his heart, he hadn't had the opportunity to work on the issue, just treating it like another matter that had to be slithered away from. He would always be fighting the urge to vomit to all costs.

This time, though, he didn't have to worry. With some gentle massage of his temples, administered by Sophie, while she encouraged him to breathe deeply, the nausea eventually abated. After she'd fed him some easily digested formula, he was feeling much better. In the evening, he was quite recovered, and they were glad to see him at the dinner table again, enjoying the fresh meat and vegetables from the day before.

Oh yes, Howl still had so much so learn. At times, he was overly selfish, and regarding some issues, even speaking to him on Markl's level didn't make him understand. Though his bathroom time had been considerably cut down, he still spent far too much time obsessing over his appearance. And while he obviously thought of himself as a good listener, his attention span was often just as short as with the household chores, if he didn't find the subject interesting enough.

Considering that many of these behaviors normally would have sent her into fits of anger (and sometimes, they still did), _why_ was it that she still loved him, more than she'd ever loved anyone before?

In all its complexity, the answer was very simple: Because he had taught her to love and accept herself, for what she really was. With Howl, she was always acting her true self… there was no need to hide behind a false façade. And he loved her! Even should he not have expressed it verbally and despite her initial denial, she had to admit that there was no way he could pretend. His feelings were all mirrored in his eyes–sometimes, and particularly during their most intimate moments, his gaze was so intense that she almost had to look away.

Whenever there was an important decision to make, he always looked to her for support, in some cases he didn't even seem to be aware of his actions, just instinctively seeking her eyes for an affirmative glance in return. Whenever they were going somewhere together, he always made sure to let the world how much she meant to him, showing his affection quite openly (and even in front of pretty girls!)

All this… had made her _grow_. She had suddenly realized she was no longer the plain, unattractive girl who seldom laughed and whom everybody considered quite uninteresting, even boring… in fact, she had never been. The Witch of the Waste might have put the aging spell on her, but in truth, she had already been an old lady in a young woman's body, constantly downgrading herself. There was only one person who could break the spell–since it went so much deeper than the physical. Calcifer could have given Howl his heart back, and Howl could have loved her to death, but it wouldn't had helped at all–had _she_ not realized that in fact, she was a young, witty, warm hearted and beautiful girl who actually _was_ worthy of Howl's… or rather everyone's love, it would all have been for nothing.

This insight seemed to have stirred something within her… generating a new energy of a kind she had never previously experienced. She suddenly found that everything she did–or created–was turning out way better than before. If she had been cleaning, the floors would be shining after what appeared to have been just a few sweeps of the broom. If she was making flower arrangements or sewing hats, it seemed as if her hands were just working by themselves, creating beautiful bouquets or the most amazing hats.

Sometimes, it was like a great barrier had been broken within her, allowing her to show her feelings openly. When she cried, she cried until there were no tears left, and no one would hold it against her. When she laughed, she laughed with all her heart, never holding back as she felt it coming. She was also aware of that she was capable of returning the love given her, several times over, not only for Howl, but also for Markl, never once doubting that she loved him just as much as she would love her future children.

Yes, _those_ were the reasons she was so madly, head over heels and yet so deeply in love with the wizard who might never quite grow up, but still had the wisdom of teaching her the greatest gift she would ever learn.

–––

_To be continued..._


	7. In Which A Promise Is Forgotten

_Autor's notes:_

_I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last update! But unfortunately, my job is just killing me, and also I suffered the worst cold in quite a few years, which totally drained me. I'll try to keep up and post more regularly but I also need to be some chapters ahead on my writing to ensure that the details are plausible enough._

_With this chapter, we're returning to the present! And just a bit of warning, things will be going pretty downhill from here... maybe that's all I should say for now. ;-)_

_Your comments (and possible corrections of grammar, spelling etc) mean a LOT to me, and I can't tell you how happy I am that you seem to appreciate the story so much!_

_Love, always /BoMD_

–––

Sophie wrapped her scarf a little tighter around her neck as a gust of the moist evening breeze swept through her hair. The visit at her mum's and sisters' house had been delightful, and she'd once again marveled over the fact that the rebuilding was progressing so nicely. They were all very grateful toward Howl and the assistance he'd provided them. As usual, the only real nuisance had been their constant requests for details regarding her marriage (including the mandatory "are you pregnant yet?"-interrogation). Anyway, she'd been staying far longer than she originally intended, and now she had to hurry home before it was totally dark. She didn't even want to think about the perils that might be lurking in the shadows.

With the last moments of daylight, she finally reached the front door. The windows facing the street were dimly lit, and from what she could see, there was no movement in the kitchen. She pushed down the handle, the door slid open, and she entered. An almost unnatural silence was greeting her as she paused on the bottom of the front door steps.

As her eyes got accustomed to the dusk, she became aware of that the room was in a state of grave disorder. No, _disaster_ was probably a better word. There were books and what looked liked various jars originating from the magic potion cabinet scattered all over the floor. Some of the paintings were hanging at an angle, and two of the flower vases that were usually standing on a shelf had been knocked over, the flowers now a disarrayed mess underneath.

What on Earth was this? Had there been a magical duel of some sort?

Calcifer was apparently out, since his hearth was dark and empty, but she was relieved to hear a rustle of paper from the direction of the kitchen table, like someone was turning a page of an old book. "Hello?" Sophie called into the darkness, trying to find her way across the room.

"Sophie!" Howl leapt up from his chair, still holding a book in his hand."I'm sorry, m'love, I didn't hear you! I must've…" He glanced at the book, shrugging apologetically.

Sophie was somewhat surprised to find that even his hair was somewhat disarrayed, and the wide necked shirt he was wearing had several stains of dust. As he embraced her, she breathed in his scent… this time it was _his_ scent, not too much intermingled with the bath oils and aftershaves he usually dosed himself with. But his kiss left a somewhat… stale taste in her mouth, as if he was dehydrated. She eyed the kitchen counter. There were no stained plates, no leftovers… Suddenly, she felt very tired.

"What is it, why do you look so concerned?" Howl interrupted her thoughts.

"Well… what happened here?" Sophie was gesturing at the mess.

"Oh!" Howl took a quick look around, as if he hadn't been aware of the state of the kitchen until now. "I was teaching Markl some new spells–thought he was ready for the levitation spell, and would you imagine, he made it on his first attempt! That's far better than I did… of course he was bumping around a little but… ah, I'm sure he'll be delighted to show you first thing in the morning!"

Howl's eyes were glittering with an almost childish enthusiasm, but Sophie felt a nagging worry spreading in the pit of her stomach. "He's asleep then?"

"Yes, in fact, he went to bed rather early… complaining about a headache… but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, he probably just overtaxed himself with all the excitement…"

"And how about dinner?" Sophie demanded.

With a yelp, Howl covered his mouth, his eyes wide opened in fear, as he instinctively backed away from her. At the very same moment, in the back of her mind, Sophie registered a faint "swoosh" from the chimney and the room got a little brighter. Calcifer had chosen the very right moment to return, she noted with an additional sting of annoyance. He'd never miss a potential argument.

"Err… Sophie, look, he wasn't really hungry, he wasn't feeling well, and I–"

"_Howl_…" Calcifer spoke up. "Tell her the truth now. You forgot."

"Calcifer!" Howl yelled. "You keep out of this, understood?"

Sophie said nothing but gave the fire demon an angry glance before turning back to her husband.

"Very well," Calcifer muttered under his breath. "But _he_ is not the only one in need of dinner around here…."

"YES!" Howl shouted. "I admit it! I forgot! And I'm sorry!"

Sophie shrugged and sighed in frustration as she was walking up to the food cabinet, opening the doors. "We need to wake him," she stated. "He can't go without food until tomorrow, or he's gonna feel even worse in the morning…"

She grabbed two plates and put them on the table. Calcifer was apparently just about to give another theatrical sigh, predicting what she was about to ask him, but obviously realizing this was not a good time, he swallowed it, reaching for the pot himself and placing it on top of his head.

Howl sank down heavily on a chair, supporting his head on his elbows, covering his face with his hands. "I just can't do anything right, can I?" he muttered.

"Well… it's…" Sophie's voice was trailing off, as she suddenly felt so exhausted she could barely muster up the energy to speak. "Who's going to clean up this mess?" She sighed. "And Howl… I… I just _thought_ I could trust you on this one… True, he should've remembered himself, but he's only eight… and surely he was so excited by his progress…" She sighed anew, shaking her head. "How are we ever supposed to have children of our own if I can't even trust you to remember _Markl's_ needs?"

At her words, Howl suddenly leapt up from the table, the chair almost tipping over behind him as he stood. With his head lowered, his raven hair hanging down over his face, he flew toward the door, summoning his coat in mid air with a flicker of his hand. Without a word, he swept it around himself, turning the handle to black. The door opened with a swoosh, and closed behind him with a load bang.

Sophie sank down on the chair Howl just left.

"Let him sulk," Calcifer suggested from underneath the pot. "He's more upset with himself than with anyone else. I'm sure he'll be back before you know it. And no–_please_ spare me the question. You were _not_ too hard on him."

"Well, I guess…" With another sigh, Sophie rose from the table, grabbing a candle and lighting it on Calcifer's outstretched hand before walking up the stairs. At the top of the staircase, she was pausing for a few moments, taking a couple deep breaths before continuing to Markl's room. She opened the door, and in the dim light of the candle, she could see Markl's silhouette, curled up on the bed in a near fetal position, hugging his blanket in his sleep. Heen was snoring from his feet, sprawled across the foot end of the bed.

"Markl, dear…" She knelt by the bed, gently stroking his cheek. He stirred, whimpering slightly, but he didn't wake up. "Markl…" she repeated in a soft voice. "I'm sorry, dear boy, but I think you'd better wake up for a bit… there, now…"

The boy opened his eyes only slightly, furrowing his brow. "Mm…. Sophie… you're home…"

Sophie nodded. "Yes… I'm home. And someone told me that you've been practicing a bit of flying tonight?"

At this, Markl sat up with a start, suddenly wide awake with a big smile on his face. "Oh yes, Sophie, I did! It's very simple, really, and master Howl says I'm doing great, wanna see?"

Before she had even opened her mouth, he flickered his arm, and promptly flew up from bed, blankets and all.

"Oh, Markl, you're terrific indeed!" Sophie started, genuinely impressed. She was just about to figure out how she could possibly turn the subject into food as he suddenly gasped, holding his head in his hands while making a pained face. Promptly, he bounced back on the bed. "Soophie…" he whimpered. "I feel strange…"

"Yes, and no wonder." Sophie smiled. "I think the great wizards forgot about something important tonight, didn't they?"

She got a puzzled look in return. "What?"

"Aren't you hungry, boy?" She managed a small laugh. "The dinner I prepared for you was still in the cupboard."

Pondering her words for a few seconds, he nodded. "Yes… M'head hurts… but I think I am hungry after all…"

"That's good. Why don't you come downstairs with me then? Calcifer has it all prepared." Sophie gave an encouraging nod, and Markl rose from bed, his feet finding his slippers on the floor. Heen woke up from his slumber, looking dazed and confused for a moment, but shaking his head, he clumsily rolled over, his undersized legs wiggling frantically. Underestimating the effort needed, he fell to the floor with a thud, looking anticipatively at Markl. Most likely, he'd been neglected as well, Sophie mused to herself as they headed for the staircase.

–––

Markl was finishing his late dinner with a ravenous appetite. For a bit, he seemed to have forgotten what Sophie had taught him about table manners, but just a quick glance from her as he was gulping too loud was all it took for him to remember. Calcifer was uncharacteristically silent… not because he was sleeping, rather the opposite; in fact, he was looking rather tense, his fiery teeth tightly clenched as if he was on his guard… ready to jump at every sound. This left a nagging worry in the pit of Sophie's stomach. And then, just as Markl was finished, the question she was dreading finally came. "Sophie… where is Howl?"

His hazel eyes were wide open and seemingly innocent, but there was a concerned crease in his brow. Even Heen paused in mid motion where he was licking his plate on the floor.

"He just went out for a bit," Sophie answered, a bit too quickly, and as expected, Markl wasn't satisfied.

"He's not in trouble, is he?"

Calcifer snorted, and under different circumstances, Sophie would probably have been laughing as well. "Don't worry, dear. He'll be back soon. Now… Great Wizard Markl… why won't you show me just what you've learned today!"

The boy's face lit up. "It's very simple, look!" Once again, he made a sweeping motion with his arm, but this time, he took off with such a start that he hit his head on the roof. Sophie bit her lip, but he was still smiling, wobbling a little but apparently getting steadier by the minute.

"Wow. You're a talent indeed!" Sophie praised, but for some reason, the lump in her stomach was steadily growing. _Where is he?_

"It's so much fun, really! You should try it yourself some day!"

At this, Sophie gave a genuine laugh. "No, I definitely shouldn't. I'm not a witch, Markl…"

"But _anyone_ can learn! And Master Howl' says you're a natural…"

"Markl, I–" Sophie started, but was interrupted by Calcifer. "Yeah, and soon we'll have a house where _everyone_ is bouncing around the walls all around the clock… will you _please_ spare me the pleasure?"

"I'm not supposed to _fly_ yet really… this is just _levitating_… or at least, it was _supposed_ to be," he added guiltily after becoming aware of Calcifer and Sophie eying the disastrous state of the room.

"It's all right, Markl," Sophie assured him. "However… I think we should all go to bed now… and that's _walk_, mind you…"

Markl sighed, but softly sank from the roof. As he stood on the floor, he suddenly seemed to become aware of just how much energy he'd spent, and his legs almost buckled. He gasped with surprise, and Sophie grabbed him from behind, steading him. "Are you all right?" She gave a concerned frown.

Calcifer, however, didn't seem to worry, but gave him a warning look. "It will drain your energy, boy, and keep that in mind, you'll hardly remember while caught up in the flying… until it might be too late… of which your master should be aware of himself, but I'm pretty certain he forgot to even mention it…"

"I don't remember…" Markl's voice was trailing off hesitantly.

Sophie snorted, knowing exactly what Calcifer meant, but still hoping he would change the subject. "Well, off to bed with you now," she shooed. "And don't forget to brush your teeth."

Eventually, both dog and boy had made it up the staircase, and Sophie could hear Markl's bathroom door slam. Suddenly, another wave of worry hit her full force. She had to support herself, holding onto the sink for a moment. After a few deep breaths, she composed herself and turned to the table, gathering the dirty dishes. Even Howl's untouched plate was placed in the sink. After rubbing the dishes furiously, using so much hot water that it almost made her skin crack, she proceeded with the cleaning of the kitchen and the living room. Despite the fact she was tired beyond the point of exhaustion, her body just kept moving by itself, driven by the force of her worry.

Calcifer observed the scene, but for once, he was quiet, an almost compassionate expression on his face.

Eventually, the room was as clean as it ever had been, and everything was put back into place. Sophie sank down on a chair by the table, finally succumbing to the tears.

Suddenly she became aware of a warm presence hovering beside her. "Sophie…" Calcifer's voice was merely a soft hiss. "Save your energy… and go to bed instead. There's nothing to be done at the moment… and this is not your fault…"

Sophie nodded, her eyes closed, the tears silently running down her cheeks. "Perhaps you're right. He's left in anger before. But this time… I've just got a very bad feeling about it, I can't explain it…"

"Go have a soak in the bath for a bit," the fire demon suggested. "And then go to bed. You're exhausted and you can't think clearly. I'm sure he'll be back before morning, and I promise, I won't stand in your way when you're scolding him."

Sophie gave a snort, but slowly rose from the table. "Thank you so much, Calcifer." She placed a small kiss on his cheek, and as usual, he turned a shade of pink for a moment, giggling softly. "I… uh… the water will be ready in a moment," he stuttered, returning to the hearth with a whooshing sound. "Good night, Sophie."

_–––_

_To be continued..._


	8. Morning of Worries

_Thank you, once again, dear readers, for your patience and your wonderful, kind words! I'm so sorry that I'm taking so long between the updates, but once again, my job's been killing me, and for the last two months I've had to work more than twelve hours a day to keep a deadline. But, good news (hopefully) for you fan fic readers, this will be the last magazine for me since I can't take this schedule any more._

_Whatever happens though, I promise you, I won't abandon this story, don't worry! I can't make any promises regarding when I'm updating, but I will. And a good part is already written, way ahead._

_Once again, thank you so much–I really appreciate your input! :-)_

Love, always, BoMD

–––

Sophie let herself sink down into the bath, the warm water creating goosebumps on her skin. How could such a delightful evening turn into something so awful? Despite what Calcifer claimed, had she been too hard on Howl? She would always love him with every cell of her body, but then again, where were this marriage going if she couldn't fully trust him? And where on Earth was he gone? Some nights, he did stay away until late, but she had never spent an entire night alone since they got married, and only twice had she fallen asleep before being awakened by a pair of slender but strong arms, gently wrapping themselves around her waist.

This time, however, something _was_ different. She couldn't even put a finger on what was worrying her the most–that he might still be upset over their argument or that something had happened to him…

No, speculations wouldn't do her any good. As she rose from the bath, her limbs felt like lead. After washing herself off, she wrapped a towel around her hair, and another around herself, stepping out into the hallway. The house was all quiet…save from the usual occasional faint creaking of the wooden beams. With a sigh, she walked across the hallway and opened the door to their bedroom, hoping and praying to find that Howl had returned, waiting for her in bed. But no, their bed was as neatly made as she had left it in the morning, and nothing had been touched.

Closing the door behind her, she draped the towels over a chair and put on her night dress, eying Howl's night gown and robes that were lying in a crumpled heap by his bedside chair. Lifting the covers, she slipped in underneath them, curling herself up into a shivering ball, despite the hot bath and the fact that the room appeared to be warmer than usual–which only added to her worry, since it was a sign of Calcifer acting more compassionate than usual–which, in turn, was a sign that he was worrying himself.

Despite the fact the bedsheets had been changed rather recently, they still bore Howl's scent. Rolling over to his side, she buried her head in his pillow, breathing deeply. "_Please_," she pleaded into the fabric. "Please let him come back… and let him be all right… please…" Eventually, she fell into a fretful sleep.

–––

She awoke with a start, jerking upright in bed. For a moment, she felt as she was trapped under water, fighting to breathe. A burning sensation of pain was suddenly shooting through her entire body. Gasping for air, her heart was pounding so hard that her ears were ringing. She didn't have to look around to know that she was still alone in bed. The first light of a grey dawn was finding its way through the curtains, and she knew that she would not be able to get back to sleep again.

Putting on a very casual dress and an apron and giving her hair a quick brush, she hurried downstairs, calling out for Calcifer as she ran. To her surprise, he was already awake, hovering tensely over the hearth. He shook his head at Sophie's silent question. "I'm sorry, Sophie, but I still have no idea where he might be… He left through the black portal, meaning he could have ended up anywhere. And if something happens to him while he's in Market Chipping, people surely would have told us. I could always get out and sweep the landscape for a bit, but…"

Sophie nodded. "I just don't know what to do…" Her voice was trailing off.

"Well, you know… Howl will always be Howl. Wouldn't surprise me if he's just… distracted…"

"Now, would it?" Sophie snapped, but regretted her tone as soon as the words left her lips. "I'm sorry, Calcifer… Well... we should probably make Markl some breakfast… but I think he's gonna sleep in today…"

However, she had barely finished the sentence as she heard the clicking of Heen's paws approaching from the stairway, followed by Markl's soft feet. "Soophie…" he sniffed. "Is… Is master Howl still gone?"

"Get down here, Markl…" Sophie said in a soft voice. He obliged, and she swept him up in a warm embrace.

She felt him shivering in her arms, clinging to her. "It's my fault… I should've remembered about dinner too…"

"Markl!" Sophie grabbed him firmly by the shoulders. "Markl, look at me. It is _not_ your fault. Grown up people argue sometimes, no matter how much they love each other. Howl might have been a little upset yesterday, but he _should've_ been back by now, and yes, I _am_ worried. But whatever it is–it's not your fault, all right?"

Markl gave a small nod, but his lower lip was still quivering.

"Good." Sophie kissed his forehead and stroke his cheek. "Now, why don't you get dressed, and we'll prepare some breakfast in the meantime!"

Markl nodded slowly, and turned around, but his steps were heavy as he was walking up the stairs once more.

Sophie prepared some oatmeal for breakfast. Recently, they had managed to afford a very overpriced sack of genuine ground oat from one of the returning merchants, and though it probably had been stored for a little more than a year it didn't taste too old and there were no signs of any attempts from rats trying to sample it. Still, Howl had performed his usual food decontamination ritual before they opened the sack. It had, however been long since they had some real milk, and now she tried to make some milk powder dissolve itself in reasonably cold water.

But in fact, the mere thought and smell of food was making her nauseated this morning. Still, as Markl came down and helped himself to his breakfast, she forced herself to swallow a few mouthfuls.

After breakfast, Sophie offered the remains of the meal to Calcifer. As expected, even Markl hadn't been able to down more than about half a serving. She washed the empty plates in silence. Markl took Heen out for a quick walk, but returned shortly, looking very restless. Eventually, both of them just sank down at the table, silently staring in the direction of the front door.

Just as Calcifer was about to speak again, he was interrupted by a familiar sound coming from the hallway. The dial by the door was turning! They all winced, and Sophie leapt up from her chair, nearly tripping on the dog in the process. Her heart was beating so fast she was almost out of breath. "_Howl?_"

The door opened slowly. The view outside the window was their street in Market Chipping; apparently he hadn't been that far off after all. But as he became visible in the doorway, Sophie immediately knew that there was definitely something wrong. He was slumped forward, his clothes stained with what looked like mud, and his lower pant legs were all covered with dust up to his knees, as if he had been kneeling down. She couldn't see his face, since his hair, looking strangely lifeless and uncharacteristically dirty, had fallen over his eyes. He was clutching his lower ribcage on the left side with both hands, breathing heavily.

Sophie froze to the floor, speechless, a hand covering her mouth as Howl staggered up the entrance steps, still clutching his ribcage with one hand, and the railing with the other. The door slammed shut behind him, the sound finally making Sophie snap out of her paralyzed state. She was already running toward him as he lifted his head and she saw his anxious eyes. "Sophie… help…" he hissed, stretching out his right hand toward her before his eyes rolled upwards and his knees buckled. Just before Sophie was within reach, he toppled over forwards, and fell to the floor with a sound thud.

_To be continued..._


	9. Sickness

_Hullo again, dear readers! I'm totally overwhelmed with your admiration for this story! I'm so sorry I'm unable to update it more frequently, (and that I left you with a cliffhanger, hehe...) but as I've already stated-my job's pretty much been killing me. My new years resolution for 2012 is actually to resign, since it's no longer helping my career (if it ever was, to be honest)._

_Anyway-this chapter comes with a warning. **If you're sickened/freaked out by rather realistic descriptions of illness, do not read on, and don't say I didn't warn you.** Oh yes, there will be lots of TLC (Tender Loving Care) as this story *is* in fact a hurt/COMFORT fic, but I once again want to state that things will not be... too fluffy from now on. My hopes are, of course, that you'll still stick to the story, and also, please, feel free to tell me what you think, and correct my spelling/grammar errors!_

_I hope you all will have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year. And once again, even though I can't guarantee the frequency of my updates, I will NOT abandon this story, so don't worry!_

_Lots of love;_

_BoMD_

_–––_

"Howl… _Howl!_ Sophie threw herself down by her husband's side, repeating his name over and over, trying to provoke some kind of reaction from him. For a bewildered moment, a suspicious thought crossed her mind–what if this was just an act, staged to gain her compassion? Maybe he was just expecting her to fall for his trick, and at any moment now, he'd open his eyes, laughing at her, knowing that he'd eventually charm her and make her laugh as well… and he would once more have managed to slither away from being scolded.

But as Sophie grabbed him by his shoulders, turning him over, any lingering doubts were put to rest as she saw his face. Fear gripped her with iron claws around her chest as she unfastened his coat, casting it aside. "Howl!" she repeated demandingly, but he was still unresponsive.

Sophie quickly checked the area below his ribs, but saw no visible marks, he didn't appear to be injured. She stroke his cheek and found it burning hot. She could sense his breath against her hand, and as she put her other hand on his chest, she felt his heart beating fast. By now, she was quite certain that he was very sick, whatever the cause might be. At the same moment, she became aware of that Markl was kneeling on his other side. "No, Markl!" she said in a cautioning voice. "Stay away!"

Markl obediently rose, backing away a few steps, but still within view. His eyes were wide with horror. Heen positioned himself right behind him with a puzzled look on his face.

Sophie took Howl's hands, realizing that they too were stained with dirt. In contrast to his flushed face, they felt cold to the touch. "Howl, please, wake up… you're home, you're safe now… it will be all right…"

Howl, however, remained unresponsive. She moved down to his feet, grabbed his legs by the ankles, positioning them in an elevated angle. Finally, after a few moments, he stirred, turning his head slightly, his eyes tightly shut. She was kneeling down once more, placing his legs on her lap as she knelt, still keeping them at an angle while reaching for his hand, stroking it softly. "Wake up now…"

A few moments later, Howl stirred again, rolling off her lap, curling up in an almost fetal position, once more grabbing his lower ribs on his left side. "Sffiiie… 'm so sorry, Sssfiie…" His voice was only a faint whisper.

"Shhh…" Sophie positioned herself by his head once more, stroking his hair. "Don't you worry…" She was surprised to hear that her voice sounded so calm, despite her throbbing heart and the burning knot of fear in her belly. "What's the matter?"

Howl closed his eyes even more firmly. "Pain… _hurts_…" He clutched at his ribs, and at the same moment, he started shivering. Sophie was just about to try and coax some more information out of him as the color of his face was suddenly turning several shades whiter. "S-Sophie…" He swallowed, and she could hear the urgency in his voice. "N-need to…" He gasped and swallowed anew. "B-bathroom… _sick_…"

Shuddering, he let out a hiccuping burp and tried to pull himself up a little. Sophie grabbed him from behind realizing that trying to get him up on his feet was definitely not an option in his state. Helping him sit, and leaning him away from his body, still careful not to touch the sore part of his ribs, she supported his forehead, keeping his hair out of his face.

"It's all right, now, Howl… don't worry, just relax… breathe…" She turned her head around quickly, in Markl's direction, and found that Calcifer had joined them, bobbing silently from a safe distance, his face a solemn mask of concern.

Markl was apparently on his feet already, and she could hear him rummaging about in the broom closet, obviously looking for a bucket or a basin, but Sophie knew that he was probably going to be too late. She felt Howl's stomach muscles clenching as he suddenly made a deep, gurgling sound in his throat. "Can't hold…!" he gasped, and suddenly he was retching violently, vomit protruding from both his mouth and his nose.

Sophie spoke in a low, soothing voice, close to his ear. "Oh, my poor dear… shh, don't worry, just keep breathing… I'm holding you..."

Suddenly, she saw Markl approaching with the basin with some length of toilet tissue inside it. "Slide it over, on the floor," she instructed. "Don't get near. He might be contagious."

Markl complied, and quickly, Sophie helped Howl move away a little from the vomit on the floor. Still holding him steady, she set the toilet paper aside and placed the basin in front of him. At the sight of the basin, he coughed and retched anew, over and over until the attack eventually subsided. Sophie kept talking in soft, comforting words. As she set the basin aside, Howl whimpered softly and sank down on the floor. Curling up in a shivering ball, he rested his head on her lap. "S-sorry…" he managed. "Sorry… couldn't make it home… _hurts!_"

Sophie gently wiped his running eyes, his mouth and his nose with the toilet tissue, softly massaging his scalp. "Howl, dearest, there _is_ nothing to be sorry about, don't worry… You can't help it! And you're home now! You'll feel much better soon… Just rest for a moment… and we'll go to the bathroom and clean you up so we can put you to bed…"

He gave a small nod. "Hurts so much…" He pressed his hand against his ribs. "And I feel… I feel so sick, Sophie..."

"You'll be all right. Just rest a bit…" Sophie kept stroking his hair and his back. His shirt was all damp with sweat, and she knew that she'd better get him cleaned up before he got cold.

Within a couple minutes, his breathing had eased a little. "Would you like us to tuck you in on the couch, or think you can make it upstairs if I support you?" Sophie asked.

"Must… upstairs… _our_ bed… _bath_…" came the muffled reply.

Sophie sat him up, helping him shifting positions so he was kneeling beside her. Gently, she uncurled his left arm, placing it around her neck instead, and her own arm around his waist. Slowly, she helped him stand. He groaned and staggered, leaning heavily on her. "What… what if I… I'm gonna be sick again?"

"Don't worry, dear," Sophie ensured him.

They began their slow ascent up the stairs. As expected, Howl hardly had the strength to walk, but he was determined to get upstairs and to the main bathroom. They had to stop several times so he could catch his breath, and even Sophie was panting heavily as they finally reached the bathroom door.

As they were just about to cross the threshold, Howl gave a small gasp, covering his mouth. They made it to the toilet just in time, and he got down on his knees, once again retching violently. Sophie held his head, still talking soothingly, but the knot in her stomach was tightening. Finally, after several minutes of what was mostly dry heaves, the vomiting ceased and Howl sank down, leaning his head against the cool porcelain, breathing in short gasps.

"My poor love…" Sophie soothed, trying to mask her own fear over the fact that this was the second time he'd vomited in just a matter of minutes.

Howl sank back in a sitting position, almost too tired to stay upright. But suddenly he tensed, making an attempt to rise, apparently trying to position himself _on top_ of the toilet instead, fidgeting frantically with the fastening of his breeches. Sophie immediately understood and helped him out, as swiftly as she could. She saw the panic in his eyes and even heard his inside churning.

Normally, both of them would probably have found the situation embarrassing, and the humiliation would have made him sink through the floor, but now, Sophie had no intention of leaving the room, and Howl would not have let her. He was sitting, slumped forward, his left lower arm wedged between his upper thigh and the sore part of his ribs. He clasped her hands tightly, as she was kneeling in front of him.

"Oh, Howl…" she managed, her voice trembling with compassion and worry.

"S-Sophie… please, forgive m-me, I'm so sorry…"

"It's all right, Howl! It's not called "In Sickness and in Health" for nothing, you know…" She managed a weak smile.

Howl was shivering violently, and all of a sudden, he started retching again. Sophie quickly reached for the washbasin near the tub, and placed it on his lap. His body was convulsing as it was trying to empty itself from all ends. Eventually, his effort to vomit brought up a mouthful of green bile, and the rush of liquid down the toilet seemed to have ceased.

Sophie put down the basin and reached for the chain, flushing the toilet. For a couple moments, they both just sat there, Sophie gently stroking Howl's heaving back. His shirt was all slick with sweat. Talking softly, Sophie wiped his face and mouth. She grabbed a glass from the bathroom shelf, filling it up with water and putting it to his lips. At first, he pulled away, but she insisted. "You shouldn't drink it, just swirl it… there…" she encouraged him.

Howl did what he was told, but he seemed so drained that even rinsing his mouth proved to be a great effort. "Need… bath…" he hissed in a hoarse voice.

Sophie sighed. "Dear… you're running a fever… I know you'd like a bath, but in your state, it could be dangerous…"

Howl shook his head, his eyes closed. "But I need… that bath oil…"

"We'll just put some in the sponge water then…"

Howl gave a tired nod, then gasped, clutching his ribs tightly.

"It will all be over soon, you'll see…" Sophie soothed. "Just a few more moments now and we can put you to bed… and you'll wake up as good as new…" She hoped she was sounding more reassuring than she actually felt. Of course, both her and her sisters had come down with several bad colds and cases of the flu during their childhood, and being the eldest, she had often been given the task to care for them whenever her step mum attended the shop. But she couldn't remember ever seeing anyone this sick… She drew another deep breath. "Now… let's get you out of these clothes…"

Normally, such a comment would have made the wizard explode with wicked laughter, probably followed by some teasing remark regarding his irresistibility. Now, all he could manage was a barely audible snort, followed by a gasp of pain.

Sophie managed a smile as she gently grabbed his legs one at a time, freeing him of his boots and his socks. This did indeed feel rather odd… naturally, it was not the first time she'd helped him undress, but usually, the circumstances were… very different. Despite the situation, she felt herself blushing just a little as his pants and underwear dropped to the floor. The shirt proved a bit more difficult, though, since he was still hunched over, and she had a hard time getting to the buttons.

"Howl, dear…" she coaxed, stroking his hair. "Just let me–"

He understood and complied, with a great effort. As she was finally able to untangle his arms from the damp sleeves, his pain was so intense that Sophie suddenly became aware of that he was about to lose consciousness again. She grabbed his shoulders and helped him put his head between his knees.

"Dizzy…" he hissed. But at the same moment as his head cleared a bit, the nausea hit him again. He was totally drained of all fluids, though, and had nothing to bring up.

Once again, they sat waiting for the aftershocks to fade. Sophie looked around the bathroom and her eyes fell on the wooden stool next to the bath tub. Fortunately, it had once been magically impregnated to withstand water damage. She placed it inside the tub, and fortunately it fitted on the bottom, standing without wobbling. Returning to Howl, she placed herself beside him. "Let's get you into the tub, dear… think you can stand for a moment? Just put your arm around me now… there…"

The wizard weakly lifted his right arm, and put it around her neck, making an attempt to rise, but promptly sank back again, making a pained face.

"What is it?" Sophie felt her chest tighten.

"Legs… numb… toilet seat… _mph_…" Howl managed through clenched teeth.

Sophie couldn't hold back a smile. "All right, let's try again." Very carefully, she lifted each of his legs, softly massaging the pressure marks, until Howl gave a weak nod.

They eventually made it to the tub, and she assisted him as he climbed inside. His legs were still very wobbly as he placed himself on the stool, immediately slumping over once more, shivering violently. Sophie stroke him a few times along his back, silently musing that he was way too thin and this would hardly make it better.

Cleaning the basin throughly, she filled it up with lukewarm water, and added the proper bath oils according to Howl's instructions. Eventually, the water got a fresh, mint-ish smell to it, and a faint shade of blue. Hopefully, it would relieve his pain. Normally, he'd probably have read some spell over the water too, but there was no way she would have allowed him to do any magic in this state.

Grabbing a couple of smaller towels, she soaked one of them in the basin for a few moments, then wrung out the excess water until it was just wet enough. Softly and tenderly, she started sponge washing Howl's entire body. Initially, his shivering increased, but after a while, he seemed to be able to relax a bit, even if just sitting up was a horrendous strain, and he was either leaning heavily against the wall or slumped forward.

Normally, this kind of activity most certainly would have made them end up in a situation that made Sophie's cheeks burn at the mere thought… but now, all she did feel was a deep surge of compassion within her, and an overwhelming sensation of unconditional love… and _protectiveness_ for the man in front of her. Like a burning fire within her, wishing she could somehow magically purge his body of this sickness… even if it meant that she would have to take some part of the strain herself.

She was very careful with the sore spot under his ribs–in fact, his white skin seemed to be blushing just a little within that area, but it was most likely caused by his own rubbing. After a few wettings of the towel, she changed the water, repeating the procedure several times.

"Feeling better?" She grabbed one of his severely stained hands, and placing the entire basin on his lap, she put his hand and lower arm in the water, carefully rubbing away the dirt with the wet towel.

"Not much… sorry..." Howl murmured as she gently pried away his other hand from his ribs, repeating the washing procedure.

"Would you like me to wash your hair as well?"

He gave a nod. "Please…"

She quickly fetched his hair brush from the shelf. Fortunately, his hair wasn't in such a bad shape as she had feared, and despite the fact that it was dirty and lifeless, only a few strokes of the brush were required to untangle the knots.

"There…" Sophie put the brush back on its shelf and refilled the basin with water and bath oil. After wetting Howl's hair, she chose one of his favorite shampoos from the shelf, massaging it into his hair. Howl made a small sound of delight as her fingertips were rubbing his scalp, but it was immediately followed by a gasp of pain. Her hand stroke his cheek as she reached out for the tap, refilling the basin anew. As she poured the first basin over his head, she grabbed another of the small towels that was not yet used, wetting it and washing his face with the excess water.

"Thank you… 'm sorry…" Howl whispered, his eyes closed.

"Howl, dear… there _is_ no need to apologize." Sophie sighed. "You can't help it…"

After ensuring the shampoo was all rinsed out, and every inch of Howl's body had been properly cleaned, Sophie doused both of them with the drying powder, It immediately worked its magic, and her dress, that also had been soaking wet, was no longer clinging to her skin. Bringing out the largest towel she could find, she quickly wrapped it around her husband's shivering body.

"Feeling any better?" He was still slumped forward, but she was hoping for a positive answer.

But Howl just gave a small shake of his head. "No… sick… hurts…"

Sophie nodded. "Let's get you to bed, then."

Carefully, she took his arm and wrapped it around her neck. Howl made an attempt to rise from the stool, and nearly fell before Sophie was able to help him stepping over the edge of the tub. He had to catch his breath for a few moments, but fortunately it didn't provoke another attack of vomiting.

Slowly, they started walking toward their bedroom. Howl was wobbling, hardly able to lift his feet, and several times, he stopped abruptly tightly clutching his ribs. As they finally reached the bed, Sophie helped him sit down on the edge. She lifted his crumpled nightshirt from the floor and pulled it over his head. She had to help him putting his arms through the sleeves. As soon as the towel left his shoulders, the shivering grew even worse, and she quickly gathered the covers from the floor where they had ended up as she'd abruptly left the bed in the morning.

With a moan, Howl let himself sink down on his pillow, initially trying to stretch out as he usually did when lying down on the bed, but groaning, he winced, curling up on his side, clutching his midsection. He paled, swallowing.

"Gonna be sick again?" Sophie asked in alarm.

"Dunno… think I'm quite… empty…" came the muffled reply. "I just feel… it hurts so much…"

Sophie covered Howl's shivering body, pulling the blankets up to his chin and tucking him in. She stroked the bangs from his forehead. He was still burning hot to the touch. Her hand quickly traced his jawline down to his cheek.

"I'll be right back," she promised as she rose anew.

She hurried to the bathroom, retrieving the basin along with a roll of toilet tissue, and in the upstairs broom closet, she located the chamber pot that previously had been in use by Granny during the last weeks of her life.

Howl hadn't moved upon her return; but he wasn't asleep either, his eyes opened about halfway as she sat down on the stool by the bedside once more. "Look, I brought you a basin… and a chamber pot… I'll just leave the basin here on the night stand, and the chamber pot on the floor…"

Howl let one of his hands slip through the covers, finding hers. She squeezed it lightly, stroking it. "I'll be right here, dearest. If I need to leave you, it will be just momentarily…"

The wizard shook his head a little. "I won't hold you back… I… I know you're needed elsewhere too… but…" His eyes opened a little wider, meeting hers. "Sophie… I'm scared…"

Sophie had to fight the overwhelming feeling of compassion and worry that rose in her throat at his words. "I know…" she managed. "I think that we actually… should get the doctor."

Howl shook his head quite firmly. "No… just a waste of money we can't afford…"

Sophie sighed. "Then at least… try and tell me what happened, Howl… please… I'm all in the dark here…"

"Sorry… Not that I think it will be of any help … I still don't know…"

_To be continued..._


	10. Consequences of A Meaningless War

_Hullo again, dear readers! Once again, thank you so much for your patience and your kind words and support for this story!_

_Once more, I will repeat what I said earlier-I'm so sorry it's taking me this long between the updates. I have now quit my old job, but now I'm naturally set on finding a new one, which has to be my top priority, of course! Anyways, I'm *not* quitting this story, and it will be updated on a perhaps slow, but regular basis._

_I'm so very grateful for your continuos support!_

_Love, always, BoMD_

_–––_

Slowly, using mostly fractioned sentences and words, Howl began trying to fill in the gaps of the hours he'd been missing. Sophie had to use her own imagination to complete his story, but eventually, the picture cleared.

–––

Flying on a hot wave of rage, the landscape was rushing by under the half man, half raven creature. Fierce hatred was burning in his veins, only directed toward himself and his own actions. How could he? He had given her one simple promise before she left. Only. One. Simple. Promise. Something so simple that even Markl would have remembered, had he not distracted him. And yet, he had let her down. Again. Such a simple thing! Her words hurt like poisoned arrows in his heart. "How are we ever supposed to have children on our own if I can't trust you?"

_Can't trust you… can't trust you…_ the words were echoing in his head. Trust. The most important thing in a relationship, and he had failed her. As beautiful and amazing as she was, and especially the new, confident Sophie that she had become, it would only be a matter of time until she'd realize what a useless man he was, still hiding behind his fancy magic and yet unable to keep a single promise. Soon, she _was_ going to meet someone else, maybe even Prince Justin if he was still available (which he would be for sure), willing to offer her a joyful, carefree life and many beautiful children.

And so what, he totally deserved it. What difference had it made to have his heart back, when he was still unable to put it to its right use?

There was a raging, throbbing pain in his ears. Normally, he'd always compensate for the changes in pressure when flying, just by a simple flicking of his fingers before taking off, but now, he didn't care. The tears were leaving burning trails on his cheeks. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. In fact, he should–

But all of a sudden, his thoughts were interrupted by a bone piercing scream. Despite the pain, his senses were improved whenever he was changing into his birdlike form, and this particular sound would always fill him with a sickening fear. It sounded like a woman, screaming in panic, on the top of her lungs.

Pain and self pity forgotten, he immediately corrected his ear pressure, coming to a dead stop in mid air, listening tentatively, trying to make out the direction of the sound. And yes, there it was again. A wave of his arm, and he was taking off anew, at top speed, in what he hoped to be the right direction. Clenching his teeth, desperately wishing that things wouldn't be as serious as they appeared to be, he prayed he wouldn't be too late. His mind went back to the last time he'd heard a similar scream, and though he was trying to suppress the memories, the images came flooding back at full force…

He had been offering his help with the removing of the debris from a couple houses close to the west outskirts of Market Chipping. Some of their owners had survived the war and were returning to rebuild their homes. However, there had been some heavy bombings, and everything that remained were large piles of rubble that had to be removed before the reconstructions could start. He'd been working trying to lift a deformed steel frame in its entirety from one of the buildings, using magic to improve his strength, when he suddenly heard one of the men from the group deconstructing the building next to his, shouting something that sounded like "GRENADE!" on the top of his lungs.

The next few moments had been passing in slow motion as there was a huge bang, throwing him off his feet, followed by a rush of great heat. He had been caught completely off guard, with no time to cast a protection spell. Coming to his senses again, he'd found himself covered with dust, debris, and what he initially thought to be his own blood… but soon, he realized it was mostly human tissue from the workers nearby, who had been totally unaware that an undetonated grenade had been waiting for them inside the half crumpled building. Now, all that remained of the reconstruction site was a totally pulverized, fiercely burning pile of debris.

There had been a few moments of silence, but soon, one of the worker's wives, watching the scenario from the other side of the street, came running toward the fire, her heart piercing screams echoing through the ruins. Instinctively, he'd caught her, holding her tightly, and hardly aware of his actions, he'd picked her up, and started running down the street. He'd left her with a neighbor family, who had obviously heard the explosion but were out of sight of the house. "Take care of her" he'd heard himself saying, before turning into a bird again, shooting up through the air, setting off on a wobbly flight.

Once airborne, he'd suddenly felt faint and totally spent. Barely making it to a small cliff nearby, he was turning human again almost before hitting the ground. On his knees and hands, he'd only managed to crawl the few steps to the edge before he was violently sick, too shocked to even try and quell it, and for once, he managed to get his anxiety somewhat under control once he was done. However, it had taken him several hours to recover the strength to make it back home, and Sophie had sensed that there was something wrong. Naturally, he just _couldn't_ tell her. But sometimes, most often as he was just about to fall asleep, the memories were returning, and the only thing that helped a little was when she was holding him until he fell asleep. And every time he needed it, she would always be there for him, never asking too many questions.

Right now, however, he momentarily _had_ to push all other thoughts away, as he was approaching his new target. This time, he found himself along the east outskirts of Market Chipping, and as he flew in closer, he immediately saw what was wrong. Apparently, another of the families returning home had found a huge, undetonated warhead in the middle of their potato field. Obviously in a great rush to remove it, so they could once more make use of the land, they had been set on working far into the night, with the aid from some gas lights rigged on a number of poles. The man and some of his adolescent sons had been trying to pull the heavy piece onto a horse carriage, attaching a chain and a winch to the front part of the bomb, and using sturdy pieces of crossed wood poles to gradually lift the rear. Unfortunately, two of the poles had snapped, causing the rear to drop, and in its fall, it had pinned the man to the ground.

Fortunately, it had missed his leg with less than an inch, but the leg of his trousers and the edge of his boot were so severely stuck they weren't even possible to be cut loose. Furthermore, the entire warhead was now threatening to slide down, as the sons could no longer use the winch to pull it onto the carriage. And if it did, not only would it crush the man, but there was also the immediate risk of detonation.

The woman was now hysterically yelling for help. Focusing on his target, Howl made a dive for it, riding on a wave of increasing rage. He realized that he was about to face yet another consequence of the lingering perils of a useless war. Wrapping his arms around the body of the warhead, he used his magical strength to pull it up and secure it on the carriage.

For a moment, the screams turned into silence, and nothing could be heard but everyone's heavy breathing. Then, cheering ensued, and as the man got onto his feet again, a bit shaken, but unharmed, they all approached the wizard to embrace him, the woman sobbing heavily into his feathers, before turning back, clinging to her husband.

"How could we _ever_ thank you enough? And how could you possibly know we were in need of help?" the woman repeated over and over again.

Howl tried to assure her that it was all right, and that it had not been much of an effort from his side, but he was surprised to find that he suddenly felt rather weak, despite the fact that he wouldn't have considered his act as such a great effort. But something stirred in his mind, and a vision of his beloved wife came to him, as he could almost hear her, asking him when he'd last had something to eat. And though the thought of food felt less appealing at the moment, he realized that this would probably be the matter. However, as he was about to excuse himself, a strange spell of dizziness overwhelmed him, and he had to put an arm out to support himself against the wall of their house.

"Are you all right?" the woman had asked in alarm. "I know your wife's waiting, but I can see you're tired… why don't you join us for a late dinner before you leave? In fact, I was just about to cook some turnip and potato soup for my boys… and don't worry, there's plenty, and it's the least we can do for you…"

Too tired to argue, Howl complied, and initially, it felt wonderful with the warm soup filling up his stomach. Only now, he realized how cold he actually felt. But strangely enough, the dizziness and the light headed feeling was increasing, and after a while, he found it harder and harder to swallow, as if he was almost on the verge of nausea. Forcing down the last few spoonfuls, he excused himself, assuring the family he had to head back home, but promising to return to visit them as soon as he possibly could.

In the protection of the darkness, he tried to turn himself back into his birdlike form again, only to find that he didn't have the strength needed at all, nor was he able to levitate from the ground, even as a human. In fact, as he started walking along the streets in the presumed direction of home, his limbs felt as they were made of lead, and he found it difficult to move at all. Now, he was beginning to feel downright feverish, and soon, he was shivering despite the warm summer night. And all of a sudden, a sharp, stabbing sensation shot through the left side of his ribs, making him stop abruptly and gasp for breath.

What on Earth was happening to him? Had he so severely overtaxed himself? His heart was racing as he suddenly remembered all the strange diseases that were going around. Was he getting ill? Suddenly, his legs were weakening, and he felt unable to take another step. He stopped, leaning against the partly crumbled wall of the nearest house. Overcome by a wave of what was now pure nausea, he had to take a few deep breaths to quell it.

No, he wouldn't make it home like this. He had to stay and rest for a while, maybe try sleeping a little… He examined the house on the other side of the street, its façade quite distinguishable in the light of the moon. It appeared empty, and only two of the rooms on the ground floor had been damaged. Crawling in through a broken window, he moved to a room on the back. There was no furniture left, and the floor was covered with a thick layer of dust… but it would at least provide some shelter. He was so tired… Curling up into a sitting position, he leaned his back against the wall, and immediately fell asleep.

He was awoken by a sharp sensation of pain. In fact, his left side was throbbing violently, and now he was certain he had a temperature too. He wasn't quite sure for how long he had been sleeping, but the bleak light of an early dawn was greeting him from the gap where there once had been a window, overlooking a backyard overgrown with nettles. Suddenly, he felt a fierce onset of anxiety in the pit of his stomach. Sophie…. she must be worried sick about him now…

As he rose, he was overcome with such a severe wave of dizziness and nausea that he had to hobble to the window, almost ready to lose control of his rebelling stomach, but realizing that he'd probably wouldn't even have the strength to move, after being sick in this state. With a great effort, he managed to stifle it. He should probably try to hold it in for as long as he could, and make an attempt at an invisible spell instead, so rumors wouldn't say he was drunk should he encounter someone along the way…

Eventually, he had to change the invisible spell for the distraction spell, where people usually got an urge to look the other way as they saw him. He didn't have the strength to try something else. He slowly started to make his way home. On a regular basis, he had to support himself against the walls, trying not to vomit or pass out from the pain. As he finally approached the masked castle door, only one thought kept him on his feet–knowing that he soon would be with Sophie again, and even though he definitely didn't deserve it, she would take care of him anyway, as the wonderful, loving and understanding wife she was…

_To be continued..._


	11. Nightfall

_Author's Notes:_

_Hello again, dear readers of this story!_

_I'm sorry that you had to wait for so long for this chapter, but I'm now working as a freelancing writer and I've had quite a few tasks to finish during the last weeks... and though I'd love to dedicate my time to fan fiction, unfortunately it doesn't pay my bills._

_However, the story *is* progressing, and don't worry, I will keep posting new chapters until it's finished. Still, I can't give you any dates, but if you add it to your author/story alerts, you'll get a notification in your inbox as soon as a new chapter is posted (in fact, I know that many of you are already doing that, and I find it very flattering!)_

_I'm so very overwhelmed by your positive reviews and your praise! In fact, publishing this story on and reading your responses to it is a great inspiration for all of my writing, and your kind words mean so much to me._

_**Jazzfoxforever**, you were asking me about my native language, and don't worry, I don't think it's a rude question at all! I'm flattered by people's curiosity. ;-) But I'd rather prefer not to answer such questions in public, since this kind of writing is very different from the stuff I normally write. Feel free to PM me though, if you're curious of such things._

_When it comes to questions regarding this story though, regarding my research etc (because yes, there are *many* hours of research behind this story), I'd love to try and answer them, especially if it can be of help for other writers. Never hesitate to ask!_

_Well, enough now. Onto the story! :-)_

_Love ya all, always!_

_/BoMD_

_–––_

As Howl was trying to tell his story, so exhausted that he barely had the energy to whisper, Sophie sat on the stool by the bed, still holding his hand while gently stroking his hair with her other hand. "Maybe it's just a case of food poisoning then…"

Howl gave a small nod, closing his eyes. "Maybe. But I've been food poisoned before… never felt like this…"

Sophie nodded. "No, but with everything going around these days…" She sighed. "You didn't exactly use the purification spell on that poor woman's food, did you?"

Howl shook his head. "No… how could I…" He winched slightly, let go of her hand and once again clutched at his ribs. "Maybe I should have… but… oh, God, I hope _they_ are all right..."

"Don't you worry, dear," Sophie assured him. "We can always ask Calcifer to check on them."

Howl gave a small nod. "Good idea…"

Bending over, Sophie placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "Try and sleep now, my love. I'll be right here. Maybe it will pass with a bit of rest…"

Howl nodded. "Hope so…"

Sophie sighed. "I don't want to leave you, dearest, but I really should take care of the… downstairs… just for a moment… I'll be right back…"

Another nod from Howl. "And Markl…"

"Don't worry… I'll try and explain it to him… and should things get urgent… try and get my attention, but no magic! You need to save your strength…"

But despite his weakened state, Howl managed to lift his left arm before Sophie hardly reacted, and at the level of her right ear, he flickered his hand.

_"I said no magic!"_ Sophie shouted, on the verge of anger now.

"S-sorry…" Howl gasped. "But r-really, in the long run… this will take less effort than talking… look… if I need you here I…"

Sophie winced at his last few words as they sounded just like he was whispering with his lips close to her ear. "Wizards!" she sighed, rolling her eyes.

Howls lips twitched a little, and normally, she would have given him a playful slap, but now, she just snorted, shaking her head.

Once again, Howl stretched out his hand, reaching for hers, and as he opened his eyes, she saw that they were now very serious. "You are _awesome_, Sophie…" he whispered. "I love you so much…" His voice was trailing off as his eyes were drooping again.

With another kiss on his forehead, Sophie placed his hand under the blankets, tucking him in. "I love you too. Sleep now… I'll be right back…"

Quietly, she rose from the chair, stepping out of the room, but leaving the door open behind her.

_–––_

As Sophie came down the stairs, she was surprised to find Markl, Calcifer and Heen almost just where they'd been standing as she left. Three sets of anxious eyes met hers, but it was Markl who spoke up first. "Soophie… what's wrong with Master Howl?"

"Aw, Markl." Sophie swept him into a warm embrace. "Don't you worry… he probably just ate something that didn't quite agree with him. He'll be all right… you'll see… just needs a little sleep."

"He must be really sick…" Calcifer mused, more to himself than anyone in particular. "Last time he got a stomach bug he was moaning and wallowing in self pity for hours, and when he finally threw up things got even worse… he was almost ready to write down his last will..."

Sophie nodded silently, trying to push her darkest thoughts aside.

"Are we all gonna get sick now?" Markl's eyes were filled with concern.

"No, Markl." Sophie stroked his hair. "If this is what we think it is, it's not contagious. But there's no way to know for sure, so we'd better be a little cautious… that's all…" She hoped she was sounding reassuring enough, managing to conceal her worry. She let go of Markl, heading for the broom closet, but eying the floor, she noticed that there were no traces left from the vomit but a few dark spots.

"I… I turned it into water…" Markl started in a hesitating voice. "But I didn't get near… as you told me not to. And Calcifer helped me with a purification spell…"

Sophie sighed with relief. "Thank you so much, boys. We'll have to try and help each other out for a bit now… until whatever this is, has passed."

_–––_

With a quick mopping of the floor, Sophie changed her dress and apron, and after a brief cooking session, ensuring that neither Markl nor Calcifer would go hungry for the rest of the day, she returned upstairs. Howl hadn't been calling out to her while she was downstairs, but as she got back to the bedroom, it was clear that he had suffered another bout of nausea. He was lying curled up tightly on his side, clutching the basin, that was now beside him on the bed. It was empty, though, and he appeared to be dozing.

Her heart aching, she gently unclasped his arm from the basin, talking in soft, encouraging words as she started tucking him back in. But suddenly, he jerked awake, and she saw what was coming. Helping him sit, she placed the basin on his lap, supporting his head as he once again was retching violently. He was quite empty; the attack only resulted in a mouthful of bile and saliva and left him soaked with sweat. Furthermore, as the retching finally ceased, he found himself to be in dire need of the chamber pot.

Sophie did her best to soothe him, but as she cleaned him up afterwards, Howl was sobbing from pain and humiliation. It was only with the greatest of efforts that Sophie managed to restrain herself, knowing that she mustn't break down in front of him.

Howl was hardly able to sit as she temporarily had to move him from the bed to the nearby chair. Hesitating for a moment, she headed for the linen closet. She had been told that when Markl first arrived, he still had problems staying dry during the night. The rubber sheets that Howl once had made for him had mysteriously survived from the old castle, and now, Sophie mused, they might once again be of some use. Having to clean a stained double sized mattress in the middle of the night, in case of an accident, didn't seem too appealing. Besides, Howl shouldn't be out of bed for long periods at a time…

Quickly, she stripped the bed, draped it with the rubber sheets, and remade it. Then, she helped her barely conscious husband to lie down again, covering him up with the blankets.

_–––_

The last attack of vomiting left the wizard so exhausted that he was hardly able to move, but all the same, he was in so much pain that there was no way he could succumb to a restful sleep. Finally dozing off, he was obviously hunted by feverish dreams, turning and whimpering, clutching and rubbing at his ribs. Sophie sat by his side, talking soothingly, but the pain was almost unbearable, making it impossible to relax.

However, as a few hours passed, there had not been any new attacks of severe nausea. Fearing that Howl might be on the verge of dehydration, Sophie knew that she would have to try and coax some liquid into him. With the help from Calcifer, she brewed a light infusion of ginger tea., waiting for it to cool until it was lukewarm. But as she approached him with the cup and a spoon, Howl promptly turned away his head. She sat beside him on the bed, trying to place an extra pillow behind him, but he kept squirming away.

"Listen, dear… just a spoonful… you _have_ to get something down, now…"

Howl shook his head. _"Can't…"_ he said in a soft whimper.

"Please, Howl… just try… just one spoonful…"

Eventually, the wizard gave in, and opening his mouth slightly, he accepted the spoon, swallowing the liquid that trickled between his chapped lips.

"There, see… you'll be all right," Sophie soothed, offering him another, and another after that. Slowly, but steadily, he'd managed to finish about half the cup… but suddenly, he pushed her hand away so briskly that the spoon spilled its contents on the blankets. Sophie hardly had the time to put the cup down and grab the basin before he was vomiting again. The attack didn't ease until he was all empty.

And this time, the vomiting just wouldn't stop. At least twice an hour, sometimes even more frequent, Howl would suffer another episode of retching. There was nothing to bring up whatsoever, and it was now clear that he was becoming quite dehydrated. But every attempt at trying to administer fluids to him was unsuccessful. Just a few drops of water was enough to make him gag, and even the thin ice chips that Markl had created on Sophie's request were immediately rejected, before they had hardly melted at all.

Before Sophie started preparing for bed she eventually made up her mind–Calcifer had to try and get the doctor, never mind Howl's opinions on the matter. The fire demon complied without a shadow of an objection, and vanished through the chimney with a swooshing sound and a puff of smoke. Before he left, he also made a promise to find the family that Howl had helped with the warhead the night before, to see if they were all right.

Just as Sophie had put a reluctant and worried Markl to bed, trying her best to answer all of his questions, Calcifer returned, all out of breath. Sophie fed him some of the best firewood available and also the large amount of leftovers from their evening meal. As he eventually was able to speak again, he told her that yes, he did find the doctor who had agreed to make a house call, but wouldn't be able to make it there until the early hours of the morning, no matter how much they were willing to pay him.

Calcifer also told Sophie that he'd been able to locate the family, and that everyone were doing well, but had expressed a deep concern for Howl. The woman had begged Calcifer to return as soon as possible and report on his recovery.

_–––_

Sophie made her half of the bed with another set of blankets, curling up beside her ailing husband. Howl was silent, apparently trapped somewhere between awareness and unconsciousness, but definitely not asleep. The only way to keep his lips from cracking until they bled was to try and moist them with a wet sponge at regular intervals. But he seemed hardly aware of her presence… there was little or no response to her touch.

Despite the throbbing knot of worry in her stomach, she soon found herself drifting off into an exhausted sleep. But suddenly, she sat up with a start, her heart pounding. Howl was still silent, but she knew that she'd been awakened by a sound. Yes… there it was again, a faint whimpering followed by a weak knock at the bedroom door, and then a scratching noise. "Soophie…"

Sophie leapt out of bed, softly opening the door. "Markl…? What's the matter?"

The boy was shivering, and even in the faint light from the bedside kerosene lamp she could tell that he was very pale. Heen was by his side, as usual, but moved aside nodding in Markl's direction as Sophie knelt down. "Soophie… I… I feel s-sick, Sophie…" Markl whimpered in a faint voice.

His words sent shivers of dread along Sophie's spine, and she felt her heart beating hard. _No. Not Markl… oh God… not him as well…_

Swallowing the lump of nausea that was rising in her own throat, she made a great effort to speak and sound like her usual self. "You poor dear… need to go to the bathroom?"

"Yes… no… _yes_…" Markl lifted a trembling hand to his lips, and Sophie promptly swept him up, rushing him to the bathroom. She placed him in front of the toilet, leaning him over, but as she placed her hand on his forehead, she was relieved to find that although his skin felt clammy, he was definitely quite cool to the touch.

"Just relax boy," she cooed. "Take a deep breath and let it come if you need to… there…"

Markl complied, and took a deep, shivering breath, and Sophie braced herself for what she thought was a certain onset of a vomiting attack… but instead, to her surprise, Markl's little body just went limp. Half a breath later, he tensed anew… though this time, he was convulsing with deep, heavy sobs.

She'd seen him sad before, but never, ever like this. "My sweet boy… what's the matter?" she whispered close to his ear, even though she suspected she already knew the answer.

"M-master H-Howl's… is g-gonna die… i-isn't he?"

"Oh, Markl…" She embraced him softly, kneeling on the bathroom floor. For a moment, she hesitated, but gave a resigned sigh. "Markl… we… we don't know. Howl's been through a lot… and he's always pulled through… but he's sick, very sick…" Her voice was trailing off a bit as she continued. "The doctor is due tomorrow… and we'll see what he can do… but we'll have to be strong, Markl… we'll have to be strong…"

She hugged the boy tightly, stroking his back until the sobs grew fainter, and he was just leaning heavily on her shoulder. "There, now," she soothed. "Feeling better now?"

Markl gave a little nod, his face still buried in the fabric of her nightgown sleeve.

"We should get back to bed, then…" Sophie slowly rose to start leading him toward the door, but he refused to move, hugging her legs. "Noo…" His voice was a whimpering whisper. "Please… Sophie… I don't wanna sleep alone… I'm… I'm scared..."

Sophie gave a deep sigh, and bit her tongue. She knew she mustn't blame him. But despite the fact that there were still no signs that whatever Howl was suffering from was contagious, there was no way she could allow the boy to share their room. All the same, her heart was aching at the thought of leaving him alone. Heen, however, seemed to have read her thoughts, since he snorted loudly from somewhere close to her feet, as if to remind her of his presence.

"I'll sit with you until you've fallen asleep," she assured the trembling boy in her arms, stroking his hair. "And you're not alone. Heen's staying all night, and if there's any trouble at all, he'll fetch me… won't you?" She nodded at the dog, and got an affirmative hiss for an answer.

Retrieving another basin, she slowly rose from the floor, helping Markl standing up in the process. He was leaning against her leg walking wobbly as a very young child, as they were moving toward his bedroom. Sophie helped him up on the bed, placing the basin on his bedside table. "Just in case, but I'm certain that you won't need it…"

Heen placed himself on the child's feet, and as Markl laid back on his pillow, Sophie tucked him in, wiping his cheeks with the sleeves of her nightgown, and as she sat down on the bed, he grabbed her hand from under the blankets. "You'll be all right now, boy… just sleep…"

In fact, Markl's eyelids were already drooping and within just a few minutes she felt his grip loosen around her hand. Almost simultaneously, she heard a groan in agony and pain that seemed to originate from just above her shoulder. Howl needed her again, and she knew it was urgent. She hurried out into the corridor, leaving the door opened behind her, and dashed toward their bedroom.

_To be continued..._


	12. A Visit from the Doctor

_Author's notes:_

_Hi again, dear readers of this story! I'm so terribly sorry that I've left you hanging for this long, but I can only repeat what I said the last time-don't worry, not even for a second, that I will abandon this story-I will keep on writing until it's finished! And there are quite a few chapters to go! (I'm about three chapters ahead with no end in sight, if that's a relief!)_

_I have, however, been terribly busy. I'm freelancing for a living, I've been planning and hosting a wedding (not mine!) and my own birthday (which IS, in fact on MayDay, in some parts of the world at least. ;-)). I'm also taking scuba classes, and I've been on tour with a gospel choir. I hope, however, that things will be calming down a bit before the summer._

_Each chapter of this story needs rather extensive research, in different ways and fields. For those of you who are writing HMC fan fiction, I can warmly recommend the HMC comics books (available from Amazon etc) and "The art of Howl's Moving Castle."_

_Your reviews are heartwarming! I don't know what to say, really, but your love for this story is overwhelming, even in my wildest dreams, I couldn't imagine this much positive response! Thank you so very much!_

_As for changing my summary-well, it might be an idea, but yet again, I don't want to give away too much of the plot, and from the look of it, this story does have a huge number of hits and followers, so I don't really see it as a problem. I'm certainly not offended, though. ;-)_

_I can't give you any promises when the next chapter will be out, but hopefully, considering that the two upcoming chapters will be much shorter, it probably won't be too long._

_Lots of love, always!_

_/BoMD_

_–––_

_RAP! RAP! RAP!_

"Market Chipping door!"

At the load knocking, followed by Calcifer's shrill cry from the kitchen, Sophie flew from the bed with a jolt, feeling strangely bewildered. Yet, she could have sworn she had not been sleeping at all. Howl's condition had not changed during the night. He'd been squirming in pain, rubbing his ribs, desperately trying to find a comfortable position. The only thing that seemed to be helping just a little was when she wrapped her arms around him from behind, softly stroking his chest while whispering comforting words close to his neck. But just as he was finally starting to drift off to sleep, he was suddenly overcome by another attack with pain or retching.

Though he was becoming dehydrated and there was absolutely nothing more to bring up, he kept dry heaving until he was on the brink of passing out. Never before had Sophie felt so helpless, but she had to suppress the urge to weep and scream with frustration, until her insides were a burning knot of pain.

"_Market Chipping door!_" Calcifer repeated, even louder.

Sophie ran to the bedroom door, yanking it open. "Can you _please_ let him in? I'll be down in a moment!" she shouted in the direction of the stairs.

Turning around, she saw Howl stirring on the bed, his raven hair in a wild disarray, spread all over his pillow. He whimpered softly, squinting in her direction. "Visitors…?" he managed in a faint whisper.

Sophie went to his side of the bed. "Don't worry, we'll handle it… just rest now…"

Grabbing his crumpled blankets, she carefully draped them over him. He curled up tightly underneath them, clutching his midsection.

Quickly, Sophie changed into one of her most simple dresses, and grabbing the brush from her night stand, she drew it a couple times through her hair. She knew she wouldn't look her best, but at least, under the current circumstances this would meet the definition of "presentable". Returning to the bed, she kissed her husband's temple. He still felt burning hot to the touch. "I'll be right back."

She headed out the bedroom door and started descending down the stairs. To her surprise, the banging on the door continued, now even more determined than before. "Calcifer!" she yelled. "Why don't you open the door? It's not like you're confined to the hearth anymore! "

Calcifer gave her a grumpy look, defiantly holding onto the bronze figurines framing the fire place. "I'm a fire demon, not a door opener!"

Sophie nearly snapped at him, but composed herself, well aware of that he was suffering from sleep deprivation as well.

As she opened the door, there was no one there. She stepped outside, looking around, and quite a bit down the street, she saw the back of a man in a black suit, carrying what looked like a doctor's bag. "Hey!" she cried. "Doctor?"

The man stopped and turned around, but even from a distance, she saw that he wasn't smiling.

"Over here!" she said impatiently, waving for him to come back.

The man starting walking toward her, and as he finally stood before her, his expression was grim and exhausted, his eyes mirroring the same kind of numbness that Sophie had seen so many times before in people who had been exposed to the cruelties and the miseries of the war.

"Mrs Jenkins, I presume?" Even his grip around her fingers felt weak when he greeted her with a handshake. "I'm doctor Parker. I thought I was at the wrong house since no one would open the door for me. And judging by your… fire servant, or whatever you wizard kind prefer to call him, this call was supposed to be pretty urgent."

Sophie nodded. "I'm sorry. My husband is upstairs, and I was tending to him… he's very sick…"

"Let's see what we can do then."

Sophie gestured toward the door, and let the doctor into the kitchen. Calcifer, his arms still wrapped around the brass figurines, gave him a silent nod as they passed him on the way to the staircase.

On the landing of the stairs, they were greeted by Markl and Heen, and from the look of it, they both seemed to have woken up just moments ago. Markl, still in his night shirt and his hair on end, was squinting at the light. "What's happening, Sophie? Who's that?"

Even Heen looked suspiciously at the doctor.

"This is doctor Parker. He's going to see Howl, and make him feel better again, you'll see." Sophie stroke the boy's hair. "How are you doing today, Markl?"

Markl reconsidered for a few moments. "I'm hungry…"

Sophie smiled–a genuine smile of relief this time. "Go and get dressed, and then downstairs. Calcifer will help you with the breakfast. Make him cook some oatmeal for you. Let the doctor work undisturbed."

Markl nodded. "All right." He headed back to his room, Heen at his heals.

Sophie opened the bedroom door. "In here," she instructed the doctor.

"Howl…" Sophie started, approaching her husband who was still curled up tightly under the blankets. Even from a distance, she saw that he was shaking slightly. She leaned over him, stroking the bangs from his face. "Listen, dearest… I know you might not approve, but you're very sick… and we're worried about you… so we brought doctor Parker here to see you…"

At the word "doctor," Howl whimpered slightly, curling up even tighter, but there were no further objections.

"Well," the doctor broke the silence, placing his case on the free side of the bed and opening it. "I must say this is a first for me. I've never tended to a so called wizard before, and to be honest, I never thought I would, since I believed you considered your magic strong enough to cure just about anything."

Sophie bit her tongue, but composed herself once again. "Obviously, we're in the dark here…" she said, just a bit of sarcasm mirrored in her voice.

"All right." Doctor Parker took a stethoscope from his bag. "Then we'll keep to normal procedures… You might have to undress him just a bit and help him sit for a moment, if possible, so I can have a look at him."

Sophie sat herself down on the bed beside Howl. She made certain that the blankets covered his body up to his belly, but rolled up his nightshirt to his waist so that the doctor could easily get underneath it, should he be needing to. However, making Howl uncurl himself and helping him sit up did not prove to be an easy task. It took several pillows, propped behind his back, and Sophie's support, wrapping an arm around him while he was leaning heavily on her shoulder. Yet, he was moaning in pain and trying to squirm away from doctor Parker as he attempted to get hold of one of his arms. But as the doctor gave a heavy sigh, Howl resigned, finally relaxing a little.

The doctor pinched the skin of Howl's forearm, frowning as it took a few moments for the surface to smoothen itself out as he released it. "He's severely dehydrated," he stated. "What are his symptoms, and when did it start?"

Sophie sighed. "He's in so much pain… obviously from his ribcage area… he can't keep anything down… it's been… both ways, really…" She felt herself blushing slightly, but kept on. "And he's got quite a temperature…"

The doctor nodded, and lifting up the back of Howl's nightshirt, he placed the stethoscope against his back. At the touch of the cold metal, Howl visibly winced. Doctor Parker listened for a moment. "Try to take some deep breaths for me," he instructed, but Howl just shook his head. "Can't… Hurts…" he whispered.

"Hmm," The doctor shifted positions. "Let's have a look at your ribs, then."

Sophie lifted Howl's night shirt so the doctor could get a clear view of his chest. But at the lightest touch by the doctor's fingertips, Howl winced, trying to curl up, drawing up his knees close to his chest.

With a tired sigh, doctor Parker withdrew his hands.

"Please..." Sophie begged in a soft voice.

"Shall we try that again?" Doctor Parker made no attempt to mask the sarcasm in his voice.

There was no reply from the wizard, but as Sophie once again adjusted the covers and rolled up his nightshirt, he didn't object.

"Try and relax now... _please_, Howl..." she whispered, close to his ear.

Once again, the doctor put his hand on Howl's chest. The wizard grimaced with pain, but this time, he did his best trying not to move.

"Hmm…" The doctor kept prodding Howl's chest. "There's a slight swelling here, it appears… you haven't been in a fight, have you?"

Howl managed a weak shake of his head. "Hurts…" It was an almost inaudible whisper.

"Well, you wizard kind… never know what you'll do to your bodies, do we…" the doctor muttered, moving his hands to Howl's stomach, giving it a gentle push.

Howl gave a moan, and for a moment, he looked as he was about to get sick or faint.

"Definitely sore there." The doctor brought out his stethoscope once more, placing it on Howl's chest. "Elevated heart rate too," he stated.

Again, the doctor felt the wizard's chest. Howl whimpered softly.

"Has he always been this thin?" Doctor Parker gave Sophie a scrutinizing look, as if accusing her of starving her husband.

Sophie nodded, and though she felt her fists clenching inside the pockets of her apron, she once again managed to control herself. "More or less… he's always been on the thin side, and this… is not exactly helping…"

"Indeed."

"So… do you know what's wrong with him then? Can you help him?" Sophie inquired.

"Well..." The doctor sighed. "Has anyone else been feeling ill lately?"

"No–" Sophie started, but was interrupted by a weak hissing sound from Howl.

"Markl..." The wizard opened his eyes, casting an anxious look at his wife.

"Markl is fine, Howl, don't worry..." Sophie turned to the doctor again. "The boy was feeling a little sick las night, but he was just scared, I think... He's doing fine now, having breakfast with Calcifer and Heen."

At her words, Howl visibly relaxed, but the doctor gave her a sharp look. "You can never be quite certain, Mrs Jenkins." He turned back to the wizard. "So, tell me... when did you last pass water?"

Not really expecting a coherent answer from his patient, he looked at Sophie, who was more than well aware that her face was turning crimson red. "Ohh... well... I guess... not after late last night..."

Doctor Parker gave her a serious nod. "Indeed. That is not a good sign. However, it's not completely unexpected." He sighed anew. "Aside from the pain in his ribs, does he also suffer from occasional muscle cramps?"

"No, not really…" Sophie said, looking at her husband who confirmed it, shaking his head just a little.

"Hiccups while vomiting?"

"No?" Sophie gave doctor Parker a somewhat puzzled look.

"All right," the doctor said. "From your initial descriptions, I would in fact have suspected cholera. Though we haven't seen a real epidemic outburst in a couple months, it's quite common in the shadows of the war. But if you're telling me the truth here, it doesn't really fit the symptoms.

"So what _is_ it then?" Sophie demanded. "Can you please help him?"

"There is something we _could_ try, but I'm afraid I can't make any guarantees." The doctor opened up his bag again, and started rummaging around its contents. "Those wizards… meddling with all kinds of unnatural stuff, transforming their bodies… if you ask me… this could be anything, really."

"Now, look here–" Sophie was nearly screaming with frustration, but was interrupted by a load moan from Howl. His face was suddenly getting several shades whiter. She quickly reached out for the basin–not that it would be of much use, since he probably wouldn't be able to bring up anything whatsoever. Still, she placed it on his lap, leaning him forward. With one hand around his waist, she placed the other on his forehead, holding him steady, talking soothingly.

Howl heaved and heaved, a fruitless effort as he only produced small pops of air. The expression on his face was so pained that she almost wished he'd pass out, and as the dry heaves finally ceased, several minutes later, he was gasping and sobbing with exhaustion.

Sophie helped him lie down, and put the basin aside. Producing a cloth from the bedside table, she wetted it with some water from the jug, gently wiping his neck, upper chest and forehead. "Now," she said, eying the doctor, "see what I mean? Please… you must do whatever you can… at this rate…" Her voice was trailing off as claws of raw anxiety were clutching her chest.

"We must try and break the cycle of dehydration," the doctor stated. "I would like to administer two intravenous shots for the pain and the nausea."

Sophie felt her heart beat with anticipation. "Is there really such a thing? Will they help?"

"If this is just a common case of food poisoning or the flu, they should. There are no guarantees, however."

Sophie nodded. "But please, I beg you… just do it!"

The doctor nodded. From his bag, he produced two of the largest needles Sophie had ever seen. He attached one of them to a glass container with a push handle, and picking out another vial, breaking its seal, he inserted the needle through its membrane, draining the fluid from inside.

"Can you please turn him over?" The doctor made Sophie snap out of her near-trance.

"Oh! Where…?" Watching the needles, she felt a strange mixture of excitement and dread… well aware that this treatment might be the cure they'd been hoping for, yet, the shots reminded her more of an implement instrument of torture… and part of her would do anything to prevent them from even getting near her husband….

"One on each side of his lower back," the doctor instructed.

Carefully, Sophie helped her husband roll over, and once again, she lifted his nightshirt, adjusting the covers so that he wasn't exposing more skin than necessary. But suddenly, Howl turned his head a little, and caught sight of the needle, just before it was about to touch him. "Naaah!" he moaned, wriggling away, curling up.

The doctor sighed, rolling his eyes. "All right… we can do this the easy way, or the hard way… which one do you prefer?"

"Howl, _please_…" Sophie begged, quietly.

Positioning the needle, the doctor made another try, resulting in a new attempt from Howl to break loose.

"But for goodness sake, Mr Jenkins!" the doctor sputtered. "I'm not the one who's ill. It's your choice. You're such a spoiled lot, you wizards… aren't you? Acting like children at the slightest premonition of pain…"

"All right, all right…" Sophie burst out, unable to contain her irritation. "Both of you… calm down, and let's do this… now!" Gently, but firmly, she put her arm over Howl's back, holding him still. "Easy now…" she whispered, but had to close her eyes herself, taking a deep breath, as the needle penetrated Howl's skin.

As expected, Howl cried out in pain, squirming underneath her, but the doctor was quick, and within half a moment, the contents of the vial had been injected. Preparing the next injection, he briefly instructed Sophie to pull up the nightshirt on the other side. By now, Howl was becoming so drained that he hardly had the strength to object, and soon the doctor announced that he was all done.

Two thin trickles of blood were emerging from each side of Howl's back, but as soon as the doctor had been dabbing the entry wounds with some kind of coagulative tincture, the bleeding quickly ceased. And at the same moment, there was suddenly a long, relieved "ahhh" from the wizard, as he was visibly relaxing.

"Feeling better?" Sophie could almost hear her heart pounding in her chest, eagerly awaiting the answer.

"Doesn't hurt as bad now…" Howl opened his eyes, staring at the doctor and his wife with surprise.

"That's wonderful!" Sophie burst out, and realized that she could almost have hugged the doctor with relief, but instead, she sat down on the bed, taking Howl's hands, and squeezing them hard. He returned the affection, but as expected, he was very weak.

"I'm tired…" he whispered, and then, so quietly that only Sophie could hear, undoubtedly amplified by his last magical powers. "Sophie… I love you so much…"

"I love you too, Howl," she whispered in return, kissing his forehead. He already felt much cooler to the touch.

"Let him rest for a while now," doctor Parker suggested. "Then, in a bit, you should try and make him take some liquids. I do usually recommend a special rehydration solution containing salt and sugar, but unless, of course, that you've been using your wizardry ways to produce it, I wouldn't expect you to keep large quantities of white sugar in your pantry…"

Sophie shook her head. "I'm afraid not… But we do have some ginger tea, my mum always used to give it to me and my sisters when we were feeling unwell…"

The doctor nodded. "That will do. And broth, as soon as he can stomach it. Start with the tea, just try a little, and see if it stays down, and if it does, you'll give him some more, until he's passing water as frequently as he usually does. Had the hospital not been in ruins, he'd been admitted and we would have administered fluids intravenously, but as of now, it is not an option. We no longer have the equipment needed. But hopefully he will be able to keep it down on his own now, with the help from these injections. This is all that can be done under the circumstances, and he seems to be responding well to the treatment."

Sophie nodded. "Thank you _so_ much, doctor. Would you like to have breakfast with us? We just have oatmeal, I'm afraid… and some tea…"

"Let's discuss business over a cup of tea then." The doctor quickly gathered his things, and stuffed them back into his bag.

_Business._ The word caused Sophie to shiver slightly with discomfort. The doctor was known to be expensive–but there was something in the tone of his voice suggesting that she would be in for a very unpleasant surprise. "Will you be all right if we're going downstairs for a bit?" she asked Howl, while tucking him in securely under the blankets.

Her husband gave a small nod, seemingly half asleep. "…'ll be alright…"

Judging by his breathing, he was asleep even before they reached the door.

_To be continued..._


	13. Destitute

_Hello, dear readers of this story!_

_Once again, your overwhelming kindness is heartwarming! I apologize for not updating sooner, but the summer season is *very* short where I live, and unfortunately a lot of outdoor jobs have to be completed during the warm season._

_As I stated in the previous chapter, this story will not be abandoned! I just can't give any promises regarding my update schedule, but if you want to know right away when a new chapter is posted, you can always subscribe to the author/story alert._

_Hope you're having a wonderful summer!_

_Lots of love! /BoMD_

_–––_

Sofie put down her teacup with a "clank" that almost broke the saucer. "Ex… excuse me?"

As the doctor repeated his statement, Sophie was at a total loss of words. The amount he'd been asking for was about three times as much as their monthly income, and at present, no matter if they were turning the castle upside down, there was no way they could scrape together even half the sum.

"You sound surprised, Mrs Jenkins." Doctor Parker was visibly annoyed. "And no, before you ask, I do not accept anything else but real money. I'm not interested in spells, enchanted items, and whatever you wizard lot will try to offer me in exchange. Do you think I get my medications for free? I have to earn my living the hard way."

"I'll… see what I can do, Doctor… but that's quite a lot of money… you must understand… please, wait a moment…" Panicking, Sophie went to the kitchen cabinet, sliding open the money drawer. Realizing there was very little left, even less than she remembered, she started counting the coins.

Suddenly Markl, who had been quietly observing them from his chair, walked up to her, and with a defiant and demonstrative look, he opened up his own wallet. She could hear him collecting the coins inside, and this time, she wasn't going to stop him.

"I'm afraid this is all I've got…" she started, and she was almost interrupted by an angry remark from the doctor, but continued. "…for _now_, that is… but… would it be possible for us to… pay about one third now, and the rest next month and the month after that?"

"But for Goodness sake, Mrs Jenkins!" the doctor sputtered. "Why is it that everyone around here seems to think that I should offer my services for free? Medical supplies are very expensive and hard to come by these days! Unlike you, we just don't wave our hand and pick anything we like out of thin air!"

Sophie no longer held back her anger, nearly screaming at the doctor. "I would not have asked for a doctor unless we really needed one! Isn't it clear to you–magic can't just cure anything! And I'm sorry, but this _is_ all that we've got at the moment!"

The doctor gave an over dramatic sigh. "Very well. I guess there's nothing else we can do then. I will allow you to pay in installments. But mind you, there will be a twenty per cent interest rate per month, and should you fail to complete the last installment within three months, there will be another twenty per cent increase on the current interest. Understood?"

"Yes… I…" Sophie trailed off.

"Good." The doctor opened his bag anew, producing a piece of paper. "Sign here, please," he instructed, pointing to an empty line on the bottom.

Markl handed Sophie the quill pen and the ink bottle from the desk. It was obvious to her that the doctor had been prepared for this–everything regarding payment in installments and interest rates was there in writing. Reluctantly, Sophie signed her name on the dotted line.

"Very well." Doctor Parker folded the paper and put it back into his bag. "And Mrs Jenkins… I'm afraid there is nothing more I can do for your husband should he be taking a turn for the worse–with or without your money. But seeing that he has responded well to the treatment so far, he will most likely be out of danger as soon as he can keep some fluids down."

The doctor started walking toward the door as he spoke, and Sophie managed a quiet "thank you," too confused to even try to come up with something appropriate to say.

With a brief nod, the doctor opened the door, exited and closed it firmly behind him.

"I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do for your husband until you show me the money," Calcifer's voice was dripping with sarcasm as he mimicked the doctor's voice.

Sophie sank down on a kitchen chair, hiding her face in her hands. "Oh Calcifer… Markl…" she sighed. "We're totally destitute…"

"And did it do any good, at all? How is he?" Calcifer demanded.

"Asleep, finally. And he is doing better. It will be worth it. But we must all prepare to work very hard during the next couple of months…" Sophie sighed anew.

The question was, of course, how long it would take until Howl was well enough to once again be able to offer his services as a magician to the people of Market Chipping… and what the alternatives would be. She could always make sure to have some fresh flowers and bouquets in stock at home, but since people still had to struggle to afford their daily food rations, few would be interested in flowers, or hats, for that matter. Besides, since Howl had been busy helping the other residents and Sophie's family restoring their homes and buildings of greater importance, the flower shop was still in need of dire repairs.

"I'll work night and day if I have to, until Master Howl's well," Markl announced, a solemn look on his face. "And if there's anything I can do…"

Sophie hugged him gently from behind and stroke his cheek. "Yes, Markl, in fact there is. We need more of that crushed ice." She turned to Calcifer. "Calcifer, can you please boil me a large pot of water, we have to make lots and lots of ginger tea."

–––

Sophie left Howl to sleep for about two more hours, and in the meantime, she forced herself to deal with the household chores, despite her exhaustion. She washed Howl's stained clothes from the day before and prepared an early lunch for Markl. She scrubbed the bathrooms and the hallway floor, as if to get rid of all remaining traces of sickness.

Thanks to Calcifer, one of their biggest kettles was placed on the hearth, filled to the brim with simmering water. Carefully, Sophie grabbed a smaller pot and filled it with hot water. Peeling and cutting up the ginger root into thin slices, she put the slices in the smaller pot. Calcifer took it from her outstretch hands even before she had to ask him.

"Thank you. I'll be right back–we're just gonna try some ice first."

Calcifer nodded, trying his best to outstretch his form and be able to provide heat for both kettles.

Grabbing some ice from the ice locker, wrapping it up inside a clean handkerchief, and crushing it with a few efficient strikes from a rolling pin, Sophie poured it into a bowl. Passing the utensils drawer, she grabbed a spoon on the run, heading for the stairs.

As she reached the bedroom, and slowly opened the door, she felt her heart beating fast, not too certain of what to expect. But to her relief, she found Howl sleeping peacefully, on his side, no lines of pain on his face. As she touched his forehead, it just felt a little warmer than usual, but not too much. He gave a small whimper in protest as she stroke his bangs out of his face. "I'm sorry dear, but you'd better try and wake up now…"

Slowly, Howl's eyes fluttered open. "What…" he murmured, his voice trailing off.

"There, that's better. How do you feel?"

"I… dunno, really… I… wanna sleep… but I'm… I _am_ thirsty…"

"That's wonderful!" Sophie's heart leapt with relief. "I've got some ice for you… for starters, but if you can keep this down…"

"I'd better try, then…"

Sophie was surprised to see that Howl really made an attempt to try and sit up, and she immediately assisted him, placing a pillow behind his back. As she offered him a spoonful of the crushed ice, Howl obediently opened his mouth, letting it melt on his tongue before he swallowed. Sophie could have cheered as he didn't gag, and as soon as he had downed the first mouthful, he was asking for more.

"Ready for some ginger tea, then?"

Howl nodded. "Yes… I don't feel like I'm 'bout to be sick no more…"

Sophie flung her arms around his neck, trying not to hug him too tight. "I'm so relieved!"

Kissing his forehead, she headed for the door and down the stairs, and within short, she returned, carrying a pot of ginger tea and another cup with a spoon on a tray. She poured the steaming liquid into the cup, and stirred it with the spoon until it was cool enough. As she lifted the spoon and held it to Howl's chapped lips, he let it trickle into his mouth, swallowing cautiously. She waited a few moments, but as he gave a small nod, she offered him another spoon, and then another. Eventually, he made a gesture that he'd like to drink from the cup, and after another few, slow sips, Sophie felt her heart beating hard with excitement as he offered to hold the cup by himself. His hands were shaking a little, but he was still able to finish the cup without Sophie's help.

As he had finished the drink, Sophie removed the pillow from behind Howl's back so he was able to lie down once more. She had barely tucked him in before he fell into a heavy, but peaceful sleep. Rushing downstairs again, Sophie ran into the kitchen to tell Markl and Calcifer the news.

–––

As Sophie told him of Howl's recovery, Markl couldn't contain his joy, and with Heen in tow, he ran out into the garden, jumping, laughing and rolling on the grass.

Calcifer, however, was still a little suspicious. "He _insisted_ on holding the cup by himself?"

Sophie felt a stab of annoyance at his words. _Why did he always have to be so skeptic?_ But no, she was in no mood to argue. Howl was getting better now, she just _knew_ it.

Indeed, the wizard seemed to be on his way to recovery. He was sleeping for the most part of the day, but felt no pain or nausea as Sophie woke him up every hour to make him drink some water and ginger tea. He was still very thirsty, and she never had to force him to take any liquids. Shortly after dinnertime, he woke up by himself, asking for a chamber pot, as he had an urgent need to pass water. Sophie could have sobbed with relief.

As it was approaching Markl's bedtime, Sophie realized that she herself would not be able to stay awake for much longer. Markl, still overjoyed, but sleepy, didn't object as she was tucking him in and saying goodnight. He was already asleep as she left the room.

Shortly afterwards, she quickly prepared herself for bed. As she got downstairs to say goodnight to Calcifer, she found that he still appeared a bit distant, as if his mind was wandering. "Howl's not dehydrated now… he's steadily improving!" she tried.

"Yes…" Calcifer replied, avoiding her eyes.

"Well, shouldn't you be relieved?" Sophie almost sputtered, regretting it as soon as the words left her mouth. She had not quite intended to sound that harsh.

"Of course I'm relieved, Sophie. But it's…" Calcifer paused for a moment. "It's just… he's not quite himself. And that worries me."

"Well, he is very tired. And really," she continued, feeling her level of annoyance rising anew, "a little support from you would be most welcome for once."

"Sophie," Calcifer sighed. "I'm a fire demon…"

"Yeah, whatever." Sophie rose from the table. "So, good night then." Not waiting for a response, she headed for the stairs again. Calcifer followed her with his eyes, sighing anew as she rounded the corner and got out of view.

As Sophie crept down beside her husband, she realized that a faint smell of sickness was still lingering in the bedroom. She had left the basin on Howl's bedside table and the chamber pot on the floor, and she really had to change the blankets and bedlinen, and of course remove the rubber sheets from the bed. But no… right now, she was too tired. She would deal with it first thing in the morning. Who knew, maybe by that time, Howl would be well enough to try a little broth… maybe even some formula, perhaps…

Curling up against him, she stroke Howl's back a couple of times. "I love you so much…" she whispered. But there was no response from Howl; the only sound that was heard was his peaceful breathing.

With a deep sigh of relief, Sophie closed her eyes. _Tomorrow_, she mused. _He's going to be fine now. I just know it._ Within a few moments, she was asleep.

_To be continued_


	14. Of Fading Hopes and Painful Partings

_Author's notes:_

_Hi again, my dear readers! Once again, I apologize for the late update, but as you can see, this is a pretty long chapter! :-)_

_I've been terribly busy as the hostess of another wedding and I've also been visiting my parents for a few weeks-which isn't the best setting if you're trying to be productive. Now, I'm back home, and finally had some time to work on this story._

_I'm still overwhelmed by your words and kind feedback! I repeat once more-this story will not be forgotten or left unfinished. My main "problem" right now is that the current chapters are actually very... emotionally straining (and draining!) to write. I hope, though, that you'll enjoy it and appreciate the effort I've put into this._

_If you're following this story and want to be notified of updates, feel free to add it to your author alert/favorite stories or some of the "follow" options; all of them will result in a notification e-mail every time it's updated._

_Once again, thank you SO very much for your support!_

_Love, always/BoMD_

–––

Sophie woke to an ear piercing scream. For a moment, she felt totally bewildered, uncertain whether she'd been screaming herself. Sitting up with a jolt, she became aware of a throbbing pain in her back… and she realized that she was, in fact, no longer in bed but on the hard floor, still entangled in the blankets. At the same moment, another scream was tearing through the air.

"Howl!" Sophie managed, her heart beating so hard that she was all out of breath as she was trying to rise and find the box of matches at her nightstand. Her hands were trembling, but she eventually managed to light the candle, and nearly froze at the sight. Howl was sitting upright in bed, his eyes wide open and his hair on end. There was a look of absolute horror on his face, and his eyes appeared to be fixed on something far away.

"Howl…" Sophie tried, approaching him cautiously. "It's all right… calm down… It was just a dream…"

"NAHHHH!" Howl screamed, flinging out his arm. What felt like a strong gust of wind swept towards her and knocked her off her feet again. The ceiling ornaments quivered anxiously.

"Oh, Howl, _please_, Howl…" she pleaded, trying to rise again, but was struck back by another wave of magic, this time accompanied by a bright flash of light.

Howl looked positively demonic, as if his skin was glowing with a faint, greenish light. His eyes were flaring with anger. Some of the baubles snapped from their chains and fell to the floor with a rattling sound.

"Howl, please," Sophie tried again, her voice thick with emotion. "Please, no magic… you'll only wear yourself out! It was just a dream…"

But he didn't even seem to hear her. "Stay away!" he screamed, on the top of his lungs, launching wave after wave of magical knock out forces.

"Howl…" Sophie pleaded anew, now on the verge of tears. "For Goodness sake, Howl, please, stop, _please! _It's just me… your wife… and I love you… I _love_ you…"

Finally, the wizard froze, and for a moment, his anxious eyes met Sophie's, as he was gasping for breath. Suddenly, he reeled, his head sagging. Before Sophie could rise from the floor, he let out a long, whimpering sound, and moments later, he was retching violently, soaking his nightshirt, the bed and the remaining blankets. For a moment, he was almost unable to breathe between the forceful heaves, which resulted in a violent onset of coughing.

Finally able to move again, Sophie was on her feet, and in an instant, she was beside him, supporting him while trying not to get soiled herself. As he was finally done, several minutes had passed. Howl was shaking like a leaf, whimpering softly, rocking back and forth, once again clutching his ribs. Whatever the doctor had given him, it was clear that its effects were wearing off.

Hot tears of compassion rose in Sophie's eyes as she started the preparations to remove Howl's nightshirt, and found that its lower back side and the sheet behind him had also been soiled. The stench was almost unbearable, but yet, she hardly even noticed, as she was unbuttoning the nightshirt from the collar down. Under normal circumstances, she would have had it burned in a bonfire somewhere out in the wasteland along with the sheets–she would never ever ask such a thing from Calcifer. But now, she was aware of that every piece of clothing must be salvaged, since there was no way of knowing when Howl would be able to use his magic again and renew their wardrobe.

Fortunately, only one of the blankets had been lightly stained, since the rest of them had been dragged down to the floor as Sophie fell out of the bed. As she finally managed to get Howl undressed, he was still shivering violently.

"Shhh, easy now…" she soothed. "Look… we have to get you off this bed, just for a moment, so I can change the sheets… and then we'll get you cleaned up…"

"Chamber pot…" Howl managed in a barely audible whisper.

"All right, let me help you, there…" Sophie put his arm around her shoulder, slipping the chamber pot underneath him before helping him sit on the floor, supported by the side of the bed. Quickly, she grabbed the only lightly stained blanket from the bed, and draped it over his trembling shoulders, wrapping it around him. Reaching out for the basin on the nightstand, she placed it on his lap, and he weakly gripped its edges, only the tip of his fingers visible from under the blanket.

"Can you sit like that just for a moment?" Sophie asked, stroking a strand of hair away from his eyes. Howl gave a weak nod in response, and tensed as his insides started churning violently… but at least, he wasn't vomiting again.

"I'll be right here," Sophie assured him. In a few, swift moments, she stripped all the linen, including the rubber sheets and the soiled nightshirt on top of it all, off the bed. Forming the heap into a giant bundle, she carried it to the bathroom, placing everything in the tub.

Focusing hard on her task, she forced herself to push all other thoughts away but the need to get back to Howl as soon as she possibly could. Fetching a bucket, she filled it with hot water, soaking the soiled nightshirt and the bed sheet. Rinsing them several times, she disposed the water into the toilet. Eventually, she filled the bucket anew with water and soap flakes, and placed it on the balcony. Normally, no matter the circumstances, she always took a moment to check out the castle's whereabouts when opening the balcony door, but this time, she didn't even notice whether they were flying or stationary.

Briefly checking on Howl, she helped him off the chamber pot, and after a quick cleanup, she intended to help him sit for a moment on the floor, on a folded towel. But he hardly had the strength, and eventually, she unfolded the towel helping him lie down on top of it instead, covering him with the blanket and placing the basin beside him.

She had just been cleaning up the chamber pot and was about to start rinsing the rubber sheet over the bathtub when she heard Howl, still using the magic link, calling out for help. Rushing to his side, she held his head over the basin as he was once again vomiting violently. Staying with him until the attack subsided, she stroked his hair and back, trying to talk soothingly to him, assuring him that he would be all right. But inside, she was starting to feel hollow, as if all hope had left her… then again, she _could_ not let it show, she _knew_ she had to be strong, for him… and for Markl…

With a deep sigh, and a few words of reassurance that she would be back soon, she headed for the bathroom once more, finishing the cleanup. After dosing the rubber sheets with the drying powder, she eventually undressed herself, cleaning up her own nightgown while also washing her face, hands and arms. But as she was just about to dose her nightgown with the drying powder, she realized that she probably ought to ration the drying powder as well… only God knew when they would be able to renew their stock, as manufacturing the powder was still way beyond Markl's skills. Wringing out as much of the excess water as she possibly could, she just applied a little powder, leaving the fabric slightly damp, but no wetter than what her body heat would take care of within a couple hours.

As she returned, she draped the bed with the rubber sheets, and placed a couple towels on top. Howl was almost unable to provide any help at all as she struggled to get him back on the bed. Carefully, she sponged bathed his entire body, that was once more burning with fever. As she was done, she brought him a new, dry, nightshirt, helping him to get dressed.

When she was done, Howl was once again curling up tightly, clutching his ribs. Getting him off the bed and back again would probably be more difficult than trying to get it made while he was still on top of it. Fastening the sheet under the edge of the mattress on one side and draping the bed to the middle, she gently rolled him over to the finished side of the bed.

Changing all the pillowcases and the blankets, she carried all the dirty linens to the laundry basket in the bathroom, and mopped the floor around the bed. As she was finally done, the first hints of daylight could be seen through the curtains. Curling up beside Howl, she realized she was shivering… and she felt like she hadn't slept at all.

She just had to face it–Howl wasn't getting better yet… maybe, he wouldn't get better at all. And within a few hours, at most, Markl would wake up, and need her attention…

Suddenly, she had to fight very hard to hold back the tears. She felt as if a giant curtain was opening up in front of her, revealing a massive darkness. She was almost relieved when Howl suddenly tensed, moaning in agony, and she had to focus her attention on nursing him through another long and painful vomiting attack.

As he was finally done, and Sophie had cleaned him up and tucked him in, she left for the bathroom, carrying the basin. Rinsing it over the toilet, she saw her own, pale, hollow-eyed face in the mirror. Clasping her fists and clenching her teeth, she made a decision. Leaving the basin within Howl's reach, she hurried down the stairs, and into the kitchen.

–––

Calcifer didn't show the slightest hint of annoyance over being awakened early, in fact, he was already waiting for her by the bottom of the stairs. As she met his fiery eyes, she saw her own concern mirrored there, and had to look down. "Calcifer"… Her voice trailed off, and she drew a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry, Sophie," the fire demon replied with an uncharacteristically soft voice. "Is there… is there anything I can do for you?"

Sophie nodded. "Yes… in fact there is. Calcifer… can you please… get my sisters for me? I think I need them to… take care of Markl for a while…"

Calcifer nodded slowly. "I understand. I'll see to it right away." Reaching out his flaming arms, he stroked Sophie's hand in an attempt at a soothing gesture. Then, he shot toward the hearth and up through the funnel. Within a heartbeat, he was gone.

–––

_"No!"_ Markl was almost inconsolable. "I don't _want_ to go, Sophie! I don't want to go!" He buried his face in her apron, firmly gripping her dress on both sides of her waist.

"Markl, I'm so sorry…" She stroked his hair. "I'm so sorry, Markl… but Howl is very sick… and you're far better off with Martha and Lettie; they will cook for you, _real_ food, you know, and you'll sleep… undisturbed…"

"But it's not like I haven't seen him sick before! And I _do_ know how to cook for myself!"

Martha, who had been standing a few feet away, approached the boy and knelt beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Markl… Sophie loves you… we all love you and…"

Suddenly, Markl tensed, and started shaking. "H-Howl is… he's gonna die, isn't he?" His eyes were wandering between Martha and Sophie, demanding an answer.

Sophie felt unable to form any sound at all, but thankfully, Martha spoke up. "No one can tell, Markl. We just don't know. But if _you_ can't eat or sleep properly, you will get sick yourself, eventually… and we don't wan't to do that to poor Sophie, now, will we?"

Sophie nodded in silence, and Markl looked down, pondering this for a moment. "C-can I say goodbye to Howl first?" he managed.

"Of course, Markl…" Sophie put her arm around his shoulder. "Let's go upstairs." She turned to her sisters. "I think you'd better stay here… I'm sorry, but I don't think he wants to see anyone in this state… and you don't want to see him like this…"

Martha and Lettie nodded, quietly following Sophie and Markl with their eyes as they were walking up the stairs with Heen in tow.

They found Howl lying on his side, curled up tightly, clutching his midsection. He was breathing heavily, not asleep but nearly dozed off from the pain. But as he heard Markl approaching, he opened his eyes slightly. "M-Markl…" he managed in a quiet whisper.

Tears were running down Markl's face as he continued. "Martha and Lettie… they want me to stay with them for a little while… Sophie… they don't want me to get s-sick from not eating properly and s-uch… so I just came t-to say g-goodbye, just for a couple days or s-so… just until you're better…"

"Wise… ladies they… are, indeed…" Howl breathed, and with an effort, he stretched out his hand, his fingers weakly closing around Markl's. "Don't wan't you to remember me… like this…" The wizard's voice trailed off.

"But I will be back, I promise, I'll be back soon… and as soon as you're well again, we can continue practice the flying, can't we?"

Howl gave a slight nod. "Of course. We will…"

Markl held Howl's hand tightly to his chest. "Good b-bye then, Master Howl… Master Howl… I… I love you…"

"And I love you too, Markl," came the almost inaudible reply from the wizard.

As Markl slowly headed toward the door again, Sophie straightened Howl's blanket, tucking him in anew. As she stroked his hair, she saw a single tear making its way down his cheek.

–––

"Are you really certain this is the right thing to do?" Lettie's face was grave with concern, as she insisted to have a little talk in private with Sophie before they left. Martha, Markl and Heen were already waiting outside on the street.

"I really should stay here, and help you out…" Lettie's brows were furrowed with concern. "Mum and Martha can take care of Markl… and I _know_ you're the strongest person alive, but sometimes, sis, I think you're being too stubborn for your own good. I don't think you should be facing this alone…"

Sophie shook her head. "I'm not alone. I've got Calcifer…"

"But it's not the same…" Lettie was persistent. "There are so many areas where he just can't be of assistance, no matter how much he wants to…"

"Listen, Lettie." Sophie fought to keep her voice steady. "H… Howl's body… will not be able to take it much longer. Either he recovers by himself, or…" Her throat constricted, but she swallowed, and managed to continue. "Within a couple of days, at the most… we'll know…"

Lettie nodded. "All of our friends are frantically trying to locate another available doctor…"

Sophie sighed. "I appreciate your efforts, but I actually doubt there _is_ a doctor who can help him now… we're totally broke, and I know that none of you have much money left, either, and…"

Without another word, Lettie swept her sister into a warm embrace. "Don't you worry about that, sis'. We will find a way. We always will."

"Thank you… And Calcifer will keep you updated."

Lettie nodded. "And I'll be back to check on you too… you can count on it. Make sure that you won't forget to eat that food I left you. You don't need to ration it–we're far better off now than just a few weeks ago."

Sophie followed Lettie out onto the street, saying a final goodbye to everyone before heading back to the house again. It was physically painful to release Markl from their last embrace, but it seemed as if he understood that there was no use to argue. Sophie stood for a moment watching them getting smaller and smaller and finally disappearing around a corner.

Suddenly, a wave of suppressed emotions was welling up inside her. Quickly, she made it back to the house, closed the door behind her, and changed the portal color to green.

As she opened the door, she absently noticed that the castle was now stationary, resting on a small meadow surrounded by mountains, overlooking the wastes. Suddenly losing all the strength in her legs, she fell to her knees on the damp grass, weeping uncontrollably until there were no tears left.

_To be continued_


	15. It's Blood Now

_Hi again, dear readers of this story!_

_As usual, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post another chapter! But as I've already told you, I don't *want* to write this story in a haste! And to be honest, I'm almost done now! I *think* there are only four more chapters (and an epilogue) to be posted–and since I'm a couple chapters ahead, I only have one chapter left to write! Which is kind of incredible, isn't it? :-)_

_This is a rather short chapter, I'm afraid... but I promise I won't leave you hanging for too long!_

_I've finally got myself another job besides the freelancing, too, which is a relief, but it's been eating some time from my regular fic writing. But as I'm starting to get into the new routines, things will hopefully get better!_

_Thank you, once again, for your kind words and feedback! It means everything to me!_

_Lots of love,_

_BoMD_

–––

The day was progressing painfully slowly. Between Howl's frequent attacks of dry heaving, Sophie did become aware of how quiet the house actually was without Heen's frequent hisses, the clattering of his feet on the wooden floor boards, and Markl's rummaging through the cupboards and bookshelves. In fact, the silence was almost unbearable, feeding her anxiety and provoking her subconscious with a thousand what-if-scenarios.

In the afternoon, three customers came by, not too long after one another. All of them were requesting Howl's or Markl's assistance. They all appeared genuinely concerned when she told them that Howl was very ill, and judging that Markl would probably be able to help the first two, she gave them directions to her mother's house. The third one was somewhat of a regular who only wanted to renew a potion that would keep the rats away from the family pantry. Fortunately, Sophie knew that Howl and Markl had lots of the particular potion in store, and hence, she was able to help him herself. To her surprise, he offered her a couple silver pennies in return, his eyes warm with pity when she found it hard to conceal her gratitude.

However, she realized that the rumors would be spreading very quickly if she kept the house open for business. She knew they needed the money, but until things changed–and she knew it wouldn't be long now, even though she was constantly trying to push her darkest thoughts aside–Howl needed every minute of her time. Eventually, she put a note on the front door, simply stated that due to illness, wizard Howl would be unavailable for a couple of days, but that his assistant was available at her mother's address.

There was no significant change in Howl's condition. Sophie had totally lost track of how many times he'd vomited since he woke up, and maybe the attacks were growing less frequent, but then again, his stomach was completely empty, there was nothing left in his system to wring out. Sophie sat with him for most of the day, doing her best to comfort him, occasionally offering him a sponge bath with the soothing bath oil, and wetting his cracking lips with a cloth. She did however follow her sisters' advice, and prepared two steady meals for herself and Calcifer. As expected, though, she found it very difficult to eat, and most of the contents of her plate ended up in the fire demon's insatiable flaming gap of a mouth.

Despite the feeling that going to bed would most likely be of no use, since she knew that she would be in for another sleepless, or mostly sleepless night, she decided to give it a try anyway, just to maintain some kind of normal routines. Changing Howl's nightshirt for a clean one proved to be most difficult since it was almost impossible to make him uncurl himself.

Although he was becoming weaker by the hour, no longer thrashing around as the pain attacks were setting in, it was evident that the level of constant pain was steadily increasing, his body becoming rigid while he was breathing in shallow, short gasps and occasionally moaning. Eventually, Sophie managed to get him redressed, and after properly tucking him in, she curled up behind him, stroking his trembling back, trying to make him relax just enough to get a little rest. Yet, as the pain finally seemed to be easing up for a bit, and his limbs were getting less tense, Sophie found herself to be relieved that his breathing remained somewhat labored, so she could feel his back moving from underneath the pile of blankets. Shuddering as the realization crossed her mind, she whispered a hardly audible prayer, her eyes tightly closed. Despite the tight knot of anxiety in her chest, it only took a few moments before she succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep.

–––

As Howl's strength was rapidly fading, the magic connection between him and Sophie was weakening as well. Still, its effects were enough to wake her up as he needed her attention. Most often, he was way too exhausted to even try to communicate verbally but she always knew when his subconscious was trying to reach out to her, like a touch of his hand against her cheek. A few hours after midnight, this sensation woke her up to find that the bedroom had gone completely dark, since the bedside candle had burned out.

Still knowing instinctively what was coming, she reached out for the basin in the dark. Not that he would need it anyway, only on a few occasions did the exhausting ordeals of Howl's attempt to vomit result in a few drips of bile. She found, however, that the onset of this attack was particularly violent, and from the sound of it, he did produce quite a bit of liquid. As he was finally done, shivering violently, she reached out for the cloth, her fingers locating it within an arm's reach. Howl gave a load moan as she was wiping his brow and later his mouth. "I'll be right back," she promised as she rose, grabbing the basin to clean it in the bathroom.

Fumbling with the matches, she eventually managed to light the bathroom candle. As the flame sank, trembled a little and rose anew, she reached out her hand to lift the toilet seat, but as she looked down, her legs almost buckled underneath her, and she had to clench her teeth to keep herself from screaming out loud.

The basin, the cloth and her hands were all soiled with blood.

–––

Calcifer was already awake as she entered the kitchen, and she saw the unspoken question in his eyes.

"It's… blood now…" she eventually managed, her voice barely a whisper.

Calcifer's eyes went wide, and he gasped, unable to produce another sound. As Sophie sank down on a chair by the table, covering her face with her hands, he quietly slid toward her, and for a moment, she felt his fiery hands softly stroking her cheek as he was hovering over her shoulder.

Taking a few deep breaths, Sophie rose from the table and headed for the stairs.

_To be continued..._


	16. An Unlikely Ally

_Hi there, dear readers of this story!_

_Here's another chapter for you-well, it's still Valentine's day in *some* parts of the world, right? ;-)_

_Oh well, maybe this isn't exactly the most cheerful read on Valentine's Day, but I hope this chapter will at least bring some hope for the moment, since it's actually... well, read and find out..._

_I'm currently just about to start writing what I *think* will be the last chapter of this story (*gasp!* Can you believe it?) and the following epilogue. You readers are still a couple chapters behind though, it's an important part of my proof reading process._

_I hope you've had a great Valentine's Day, but I also hope that you do remember your loved ones throughout the rest of the 364 days of the year as well._

_Lots of love from my corner of the world, and thank you for your wonderful encouragement and reviews!_

_/BoMD_

_–––_

Howl suffered continuos bouts of vomiting and nausea throughout the morning, sometimes followed by episodes of extreme pain. As long as he wasn't dry heaving, he was now losing considerable amounts of blood every time he was vomiting. Somewhere deep within, Sophie felt that part of her was already coming to realize that Howl's chances of survival were quickly diminishing with each hour, and there was little she could do to help him. Yet, she forced herself to live in the moment, focusing on what was happening here and now, and just being there for him.

Calcifer appeared to be almost paralyzed and ambivalent. He was hardly speaking at all, but yet eager to obey Sophie's every request, even the unspoken ones. Most often, however, he was avoiding her eyes, when spoken to.

Around nine o' clock in the morning, Howl was suffering through one of the worst pain attacks ever, moaning and thrashing wildly, despite his weekend state. As Sophie was doing her best to make him calm down, she was now starting to notice a definitive swelling around his ribcage area on his left side; a red, fist sized mark, glowing angrily in a sharp contrast to his porcelain skin.

As the pain was finally easing off a bit, Sophie was surprised to see that Howl was struggling to open his eyes, for the first time in a long time.

"Soph…" he managed in a weak whisper, fighting hard to focus on her face.

"Shh, Howl, love… don't try and talk too much… save your energy…"

"Listen, Soph… something you need to do… I'm sorry, Soph… but you must…" He coughed slightly before continuing. "Know… the red book… s-spells… page 215… please… just read it… if you love me… beg you… you must… can't take it 'nymore… not fair… to you… please..."

Before Sophie could react, his hand flailed upwards, and one of the heaviest books of the bedroom bookshelves suddenly popped out and fell to the floor with an impressive thud, opening in mid air to turn up the right page. Immediately, her eyes were drawn to the skull and the warning sign that were placed over the headline, and she didn't have to read another word to understand what it was all about. Feeling something snap inside her, a wave of uncontrollable anger swept over her. "How _dare_ you?!" she heard herself screaming.

Grabbing the book, she bolted out from the bedroom, yanking the door to the balcony open, the crisp morning air and the movement of the castle making her hair fly around her face. Furious, she lifted the heavy book over her head and was just about to throw it over the ledge, as she heard Calcifer's shrill voice calling out to her from inside. "Sophie! Someone at the Market Chipping door!"

Breathing heavily, she lowered her arms, put down the book on the floor, and with a resigned sigh, she stepped back inside. "All right…" she managed. "Will you please let them in? I'll be down in a moment."

Quickly wiping her eyes on her sleeve, she went to the bedroom closet, fetching a new apron and straightening her hair, for once not even looking in Howl's direction on her way out. As she entered the kitchen, she halted abruptly as she recognized the woman standing at the landing by the entrance steps, holding an infant baby in her arms.

_"Dana!"_

A crimson red Calcifer cast an apologetic look at Sophie, mouthing a "Sorry!" through his clenched teeth.

"I-I apologize, I don't know your last name," Sophie stuttered. "And… excuse me, but what are you doing here?"

"It's Mrs Carell. And I need to see Howl. Now. So, go get him for me. Please."

"Look, Mrs Carell, my husband is very sick, hence the note on the door–"

"Sick! No really, does he think he's the only one who is sick around here? I know exactly what he's like, using the tiniest little ailment as an excuse to be freed from his duties, now, go get him! Can't you see that _my_ daughter is very sick! Do you think I'd just walk in here unless I really needed him?"

As Dana unwrapped the baby's blanket, Sophie could see that the infant was indeed very pale and thin, and her little face was wrinkled in a grimace of pain, her eyes tightly closed. She gave a weak, whimpering sound, and her mouth looked dry, with what appeared to be crusted milk around her lips.

"Oh…" Speechless, Sophie felt all the anger she had been building up toward the woman melt away, replaced by a strong wave of compassion.

"So will you _please_ get him for me?" Dana pleaded anew. "It doesn't matter if he has the flu–we all had it last week, it's going around–"

Sophie shook her head, slowly, still looking at the infant. "I'm sorry, Mrs Carell, but this isn't a case of the flu… he's really sick this time…" At the same moment, she felt Howl calling out for her, and she sensed the urgency in his voice. "He needs me… Mrs Carell, please, have a seat, I'll be right back, I promise…"

Not waiting for a response, she dashed upstairs, arriving just in time to help Howl sit upright, and support him over the basin as he once again was retching violently. This time, he brought up large quantities of blood, and the attack seemed to be going on forever.

As he was finally done, he was almost unresponsive, his body limp and his breathing labored. Sophie cleaned him up, and emptied and rinsed the basin, shuddering as the water was turning dark red when she flushed the toilet.

When Dana saw her moving down the stairs, she abruptly rose from the chair where she had been seated, opening her mouth to say something. But all that came out was a load gasp, her eyes wide as she was staring at Sophie's midsection. Looking down, Sophie realized that her apron had been stained with blood.

"Oh... Mrs Jenkins... I... I just didn't realize…"

Sophie nodded. "He took sick about three days ago, and it keeps getting worse... He's been vomiting blood since sometime during the night... I'm so sorry, Mrs Carell, but he won't be able to help..."

Tears were forming in Dana's eyes. "No, _I_ am sorry... I've been so mean and unfair to you... I know it was so selfish of me, choosing to have children in these troubled times, though I _knew_ there were alternatives... and now... this is the punishment I'll have to face for my bad judgement..." Her speech was broken by a sob as she covered her eyes with her hands, her tears now running freely down her cheeks.

"Mrs Carell... Dana... Listen..." Gently, Sophie put her hands on Dana's arm, stroking it softly. "Whatever you do... don't blame yourself!" She drew a long, shivering breath, her voice stuck in her throat as she continued. "I chose to wait... and now... Howl and I... we probably won't be able to get any children... Ever."

The women embraced in silence.

_–––_

"I wish there was anything I could do to help," Sophie sighed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as she was staring at the now lukewarm cup of tea in front of her. "But my medical skills are very limited, particularly when it comes to infants, I'm afraid..."

At the other end of the table, Dana was almost desperately trying to breastfeed her baby, but the girl only managed a few suckles before she went apathetic with exhaustion. Suddenly, her little face wrinkled with pain, and moments later, she promptly spat up most of the milk she had managed to swallow.

"I thought I did everything I could to prevent this…" Dana mused as she wiped her infant's face and mouth with the edge of her blanket. "We've been boiling all our water, even the bath water, and I've done my best to eat as healthy as possible from the moment I knew I was pregnant. We even used most of our savings to buy ourselves a cow… and I've been very careful not to expose myself to any bugs or germs…" She sighed. "Yet… all three of us took sick with that blasted flu last week… I and my husband recovered after a couple days, and at first, she seemed to be on the mend too, but then all of a sudden she got worse and now… she's not keeping the milk, and lately, her feces have been blood stained…"

"What did the doctor say?"

Dana shook her head. "He asked me whether I'd been feeding her anything else but breast milk, or if I had made any drastic changes to my diet, and when I told him that I hadn't, he said it could be any number of things. He gave her something… some very expensive medication, mind you, saying that it _might_ work… or not, and first, she got a bit better, but once it wore off…"

Sophie nodded. "That's what he said about Howl, too…"

"And now he gives priority to his other patients… those who can pay…"

"Exactly… and we're totally destitute…"

Dana sighed. "And so are we… My husband is working day and night already to pay off our debts… and we want to be able to keep the cow…"

Suddenly, a thought stirred in Sophie's subconscious. _There was something about the cow…_

"Dana… I… I hardly remember this, I was so young… but once, I do recall that one of my mum's friends… my sisters' mum, that is… she had a baby who was very sick, too… and it was quite unusual, really… This baby… I think she had some kind of allergic reaction to her own mum's breast milk… they were talking about an extreme case of milk intolerance, brought on by a stomach flu… and she only got better when her mum stayed off all kinds of dairy products…"

Sophie saw all color drain from Dana's face, then being replaced by a blush as she lifted her free hand to her mouth. "A-after I got sick, I didn't drink any milk for a couple days… and when I started… come to think of it… she got worse!"

Feeling her heart beat fast, Sophie nodded. "I was just a child at the time, but I remember it because they all kept saying how unusual it is in these parts of the world… and I also remember how worried everyone was for that little boy… but he made it, he was all right within a couple days…"

"Sophie…" Dana gasped, fresh tears running down her cheeks. "I know I shouldn't get my hopes up yet but… that is just like my girl… just like my girl… I'll get off the dairy products immediately… oh Lord… I hope it's not too late…"

"I'm hoping and praying that it will help… like I said, my medical skills are limited… right now, I'd do _anything_ to be able to help Howl…"

"I'm so sorry, Sophie…" Rising from the chair, Dana gently pulled her into another hug, using her free arm. "I would do anything to help _you_, if I could…"

Sophie sighed, swallowing back the lump in her throat. "It's all right, Dana. Right now, you should only focus on your baby girl… I'll be all right… just… keep me informed on her progress, please?"

Dana nodded. "You and Howl will be in my thoughts and prayers, Sophie. I will never, ever forget the unconditional kindness you've shown me… And Howl… I really wish _I_ could use some magic to make him better too…"

"Thank you… you'll be in my thoughts and prayers too…" Sophie followed Dana to the door.

Before parting, the two women embraced for a last time.

"Wow," Calcifer's stunned voice was heard from the hearth. "Wow…"

_–––_

_To be continued..._


	17. Of Freshly Made Biscuits & Septic Tanks

_Dear readers;_

_I'm so terribly sorry to have kept you waiting for this long! Spring has been a very busy time for me, and I've recently started a new job, which takes some getting used to. There are just a couple chapters left to write of this story-in fact, I'm currently working on what I *think* might be the last one (it has to be followed by an epilogue, though). For every written chapter, I'll publish another, and it won't be abandoned._

_In fact, I do have other fanfics in the planning. They're set in completely different fandoms, but for those of you who like non-slash hurt/comfort stories, they might be worth checking out, still. Nothing new will be published until this one is finished, though!_

_I can promise one other thing for sure–you will *not* have to wait for months until the next chapter of this story. Can't say exactly when, but... not too long!_

_Thank you, once again for all your kind words and reviews!_

_Love,_

_BoMD_

_–––_

Sophie woke from her slumber with a start, vaguely aware of Calcifer's voice, calling for her from the kitchen. She didn't even remember falling asleep. Or had she actually been sleeping at all? Maybe it was just her mind that had been drifting. As she rose from the bed, she realized that her right hand was still tightly clasped around the sponge she'd been using to moisten Howl's cracked lips. Despite the light that was filtering through the curtains, she couldn't tell whether it was morning, afternoon or even in the middle of the night.

During the last couple hours–or how much time that had actually passed–Howl's condition was steadily deteriorating, and she felt him fading by the minute. He appeared unconscious, but his breathing was still heavy with pain. Lying motionless on the bed, his body was frequently convulsing with weak, dry heaves, sometimes producing a small trickle of blood. But even the heaves were getting weaker now, and though he was feeling a little bit cooler to the touch, Sophie knew it wasn't a good sign–his body was starting to shut down.

The mark under his ribs had definitely grown in size, screaming red and swollen against his pale, almost transparent looking skin. Sophie could actually feel it throbbing under her hand. Even the magical link between Howl and Sophie had weakened so much that she could no longer feel him reaching out to her subconscious. She got no indication that he was aware of her presence at all. Still, she remained constantly by his side, offering him all the comfort she could provide; stroking his hair, holding his hand, and occasionally sponging his feverish skin.

"Sophie!" she heard Calcifer calling out for a second time. "Someone at the Market Chipping door!"

With a heavy sigh, she made it down the stairs, and opened the door, finding Lettie standing outside.

"Oh sis…" Lettie's brows were creased with concern, her voice strained with compassion. "You… you look terrible…"

Sophie sighed anew. "You're probably right… things are not looking too bright over here…"

"How is he…?" Lettie bit her lip, obviously fearing the answer.

"Not so well…" Sophie drew a shuddering breath, but managed to compose herself. "In all honesty…" She tried to speak, multiple times, but her voice was gone.

"Oh, God, sis… I'm so sorry…" Quickly putting down the basket she'd been carrying, Lettie drew her into a long embrace. Sophie felt she hardly had the strength to hug her back.

"Can I come in?" Lettie inquired as she eventually released her.

"Of course." Sophie stepped aside, and they both walked into the kitchen.

Sophie sank down at a chair by the table, and Lettie seated herself in front of her, after putting down her basket on the kitchen counter. "I know it must be hard for you… but have you managed to eat any of that food I left you?"

Sophie shook her head. "Not too much, I'm afraid…"

"When did you last have anything to eat?"

"Honestly… I don't even remember…" Sophie rubbed her eyes with the backside of her hands.

"That's what I thought. I'll prepare some tea and biscuits for you. They're nothing fancy, but there's some real butter and flour in them, at least… Calcifer?"

The fire demon was reaching for a teapot even before Lettie had voiced the question.

"How is Markl?" Sophie's eyes were locked on the table surface.

"He's fine. But he's worried sick about Howl. Many people have seen your note on the door, and Markl's had quite a few customers… what a sweet boy he is." Lettie shook her head. "You have many loyal friends here, Sophie… and they're trying their best to find another doctor… and so are we. Markl even sent a letter for that… Prince Justin of yours. But I reckon you haven't seen today's paper?"

Sophie shook her head. "No. I haven't read the newspapers for quite a while now, you know…"

Lettie sighed. "Sorry… Well, apparently the flu has struck the royal court a couple days ago, and according to the news, even Prince Justin himself has taken sick."

"Oh…" Sophie's weary eyes met Lettie's. "Is it serious?"

"No fatalities have been reported, according to the newspapers, at least. Had they not been royalties, they'd probably managed without medical treatment. But since they are…"

"Yeah." Sophie sighed. "Medical attention around the clock, probably one doctor for each member of the court…"

"I'm sorry…" Lettie's chin was trembling, and for a moment, Sophie was afraid she'd burst into tears.

"It's all right," Sophie said, taking her hand. She realized how cold and numb her own fingers felt as Lettie placed her other hand on top of hers, squeezing it gently.

They sat in silence, until Calcifer broke in, announcing that the tea water was hot. Sophie made an attempt to rise, but Lettie stopped her. "Please, let me…"

Sophie sat down again, with a resigned sigh. She didn't have the energy to argue.

It didn't take Lettie and Calcifer many moments to prepare a couple of buns and a cup of tea for Sophie. Lettie placed them in front of Sophie with a demanding gesture.

Sighing, Sophie nibbled the bun, and put the piece in her mouth. Actually, it didn't taste too bad: Lettie was a true talent when it came to turning even the stalest of ingredients into delicious bread or pastries. But Sophie's mouth was all but dry and she had to muster up all her strength even to force down a mouthful. "Look, Lettie… you have no idea how much I appreciate all your help… but I really need to check on Howl before I…"

Lettie nodded. "I understand, but please, promise you'll try and finish this…"

"I'll try…" But Sophie couldn't meet her eyes, and had to look away.

"Listen, big sis', I'll be back tomorrow… or whenever you need me… just send Calcifer for me if…"

"I will…" Rising mechanically from the table, Sophie pulled Lettie into a hug, fighting to control the feelings of despair that threatened to overwhelm her at the touch.

"Let us know if there is any development…"

Sophie managed a nod. "But of course… And tell Markl that I love him, will you? Well… that we _all_ do…"

"I will…" Lettie hugged her once more, and walked to the door. "Take care, sister…" She was unable to conceal the tear that was starting to make its way down her cheek as she turned around.

With heavy steps, well aware of that Calcifer was following her with her eyes, Sophie started walking up the stairs.

_–––_

For a moment, her heart raced in panic as she saw Howl on the bed. He was still lying in the same position as when she'd left him, curled up on his side, and didn't appear to be moving at all. But as she got closer, she noticed that his back was still heaving with heavy breaths, and his jaws were tightly shut. His face was lined with pain, and as she gently put a hand on his forehead, she noticed that the towel she'd placed under his face had been stained with blood. Shuddering, she wiped his mouth before replacing it with a fresh towel. Howl gave a barely audible whimper, but otherwise he remained unresponsive.

Straightening his blankets, she stroke his bangs away from his forehead. She tried to speak, but not a single word came over her chapped lips. Suddenly, she heard Calcifer's voice from the kitchen, calling her name. She placed a kiss on her husband's cheek, feeling its flaring heat against her lips, and started to move toward the door again.

Walking through the hallway, a thought that she'd been trying to fight for too long suddenly struck her with full force. If Howl didn't make it… what would actually happen to the castle? Would Calcifer be able to keep its structure together on his own? Maybe Markl had the skills to help him out to a certain degree, but still? This castle was mostly created with Howl's magic… what if it actually were to collapse with his death? And all the maintenance tasks that he usually performed… there were so many of them that she wasn't even aware of. The fresh water tank had to be refilled on a regular basis, and purified with a proper spell.

Before she got to know Howl, Markl and Calcifer, her general belief was that wizards simply used some magic trick to make all the waste products from their household disappear into thin air. Now, she knew that it wasn't quite that simple–there were specific rules that everything taken from nature had to be recycled in a proper way. On a regular basis, Howl and Calcifer did perform some kind of ritual to restore all waste water and litter and turn it back into dust. But how often did these things have to be done? And where? And how? She had no specific memory of when she last saw them do it. What happened if they waited too long? Would it pose a danger to Markl, perhaps for all of them, maybe an increased risk of bacterial infections and disease? How did they even know when it was time?

Sophie's thoughts were abruptly cut off by Calcifer, as she entered the kitchen. "Sophie… Lettie was right. You mustn't let that food get to waste. No one would benefit from that, and you really need to eat–please? I don't care whether you bring the food upstairs, but…"

"Oh Calcifer…" Once more, Sophie sank down at the kitchen table, almost feeling like her legs were buckling underneath her. "Calcifer…" she heard herself bursting out. "What is a septic tank… and how does it work?"

For a moment, the fire demon looked positively bewildered. Then, he suddenly seemed to understand. Silently, he slid across the kitchen, placing himself in front of her, hovering over the table. Gently, he reached out his fiery hands, placing them on top of hers, careful not to scorch her.

_To be continued..._


	18. In Which Sophie Has To Take Action

_Dear readers of this story,_

_I was totally overwhelmed with all your sweet reviews and encouragement over the last chapter! Words cannot express how grateful I am!_

_I suspect, however, that you'll all hate me after reading *this* chapter... well, maybe not really. ;-) But-I promise, next chapter *isn't* really that far away, if things are going as planned. Well, you never know. But I'll try not to leave you hanging for too long. OK? OK? ;-)_

_I hope you're all enjoying the summer, unless you live on the opposite side of the globe from me, of course._

_Love, always,_

_BoMD_

_–––_

The bedroom had become a bubble of darkness, its wavering walls closing in tighter and tighter around her and Howl on the bed.

It was starting to sink in.

He was slipping away.

It was inevitable.

She should have been screaming… crying her eyes out… calling his name over and over… but she didn't. Somehow she felt oddly calm… slowly realizing that there was nothing else she could do… but wrap her arms around him, holding him tight… her face pressed against his back. Maybe, somewhere deep within, he knew she was still there… but now, she could no longer even feel their magic connection tugging at her mind. He was starting to feel cooler to the touch… but it wasn't a good sign. His body was shutting down.

But within his chest, his heart was still beating… an irregular, fluttering vibration against her ear… while his breaths were getting shallower…

"Please…" she whispered into the darkness. "Dear Lord… just let it be over soon… Just take him out of this pain… I _beg_ you… don't let him suffer no more…"

With a deep, quivering breath, the room was suddenly spiraling downwards, and she felt herself being swept away, deeper and deeper, into a bottomless, exhausted sleep.

Gradually, she became aware of a pulsating light, rolling toward her through the darkness, encircling her before it came into focus; bright red flames, stretching towards a dark sky while swaying in slow-motion like patterns.

And suddenly, Howl was standing in front of her.

The firelight was casting glowing shadows over his naked skin, and his raven hair was flying in an unseen breeze.

_God, he was beautiful._

But what really mesmerized her was his eyes. He was looking at her, without blinking, the intensity of his gaze freezing her to the spot. All of a sudden, however, he lifted his right arm. Clasped in his hand was the dagger that used to be one of the items pinning his wizard contract to the dartboard. The emerald like gems on the handle were glowing with an intense green; a sharp contrast against the fire.

Seemingly making sure that Sophie was following his movement, Howl put his left hand on top of his lower ribs on his left side, indicating a certain spot, just where the angry, red mark had been. Removing the hand again, his right arm was sweeping down in a swift motion, aiming the dagger at his ribs.

Screaming, Sophie tried to reach out and stop him, only to find that she really was unable to move. But just as the blade penetrated his skin, the room imploded into a swirl of colors and sound. Screaming on top of her lungs now, Sophie was certain she was about to wake up from another nightmare… when the scene changed, and once more, she found herself standing in front of Howl. He was holding the dagger again, just like before, and his glowing eyes were seeking hers. As soon as her beating heart was slowing down enough for her to focus, he lifted his arm anew… and stabbed.

By now, Sophie couldn't hold back another scream. But just as the first time, at the very same moment the blade touched his skin, everything burst, swirled, and returned to the way it was before. This time, however, the unspoken question in Howl's eyes was even stronger.

Suddenly, Sophie _knew_… and at the same moment, she felt herself being able to move again. "I understand…" she heard herself whispering, meeting Howl's eyes as he was starting to dissolve in front of her.

"Yes… but will you…?"

_"…will you…?"_

_"…will you…?"_

Then, another piercing scream shot through the air… and at the same moment, she found herself looking into what appeared to be a gigantic crystal ball. From deep within its core, a blurry form was coming into focus–Heen's furry face, his eyes locking with hers for a moment, as he gave a silent nod…

Suddenly, she became aware of that she was sitting up on the bed, breathing hard. Howl was still beside her, and had not changed positions. She lifted a trembling hand, carefully placing it on the side of his throat… and drew a sigh of tremendous relief as there was still a pulse.

A weak light was filtering through the curtains, and as she turned around, her gaze fell upon the dartboard above the bed… the wizard contract… and there was the dagger, one of the items that were pinning the contract to the board. Maybe it was only her imagination, or the lack of sleep, but the emeralds of the handle still appeared to be pulsating with a faint glow, as if reflecting an unseen fire.

Maybe it had just been a dream… maybe she _was_ going insane… Still…

Almost mechanically, she rose to a standing position on the bed, reaching for the dagger… and found that she was just tall enough to get a firm grip around the handle. Surprisingly, she didn't even have to pry it out… it almost slid into her hand. Sinking down on the bed again, she contemplated the situation for a few moments. Well, if she were to do it, there were a few other items she needed to bring… and she was quickly running out of time…

A heap of fresh towels from the bathroom. Hot water… and some antiseptic solution, and probably… Dropping the rest of the stuff on the bed, she turned around and walked out of the door, towards the stairs… as if in a trance... the flapping sound of her nightgown around her feet creating a counter rhythm to her beating heart.

_I promised myself that I'd never ever do this… whatever should happen to me, or the family…_

Walking through the kitchen, she heard Calcifer calling out to her, several times… but she didn't answer. She just kept walking… until she stood in front of the kitchen bookshelf.

And there it was. His oldest book of magic, its cover so black and forbidding… It wasn't the first time she'd held it–she'd occasionally brought it on request from Howl or Markl… but she was surprised to find that it, too, slid out of the shelf very easily, and didn't even feel remotely as heavy as she remembered it.

Once again ignoring Calcifer, hugging the book to her chest with one arm, she made her way back through the kitchen, and up the stairs. She didn't reflect on it right there and then, but for once, Calcifer didn't even attempt to follow her.

_–––_

Standing in front of their bed, she was once more overcome with self doubt. What if it was all in her imagination? What if the lack of sleep and the emotional turmoil really _had_ made her lose her mind? And what if… what if Howl would die from… _her_ actions, because _she_ was about to get involved with something that would be far too complex for her to handle?

And yet… what were her options? Howl would die anyway… and if there actually was anything she _could_ do to prevent it…

She sterilized the knife blade, using the antiseptic solution, its strong smell bringing tears anew to her drying eyes. She grabbed the book. She already knew the spell by heart, since she had seen it performed many times by Howl and Markl. But she knew she had to read it aloud from the source–just to make sure.

_No… I can't do this…_

_Yes, you can…_

_No, I just… can't…_

Gently, she turned Howl over, on his back. She pulled down the blankets to his feet, and rolled up the nightshirt to his torso. She was surprised to se that the red mark underneath his ribs was now a distinct abscess, a red-bluish… almost pulsating mass…

Carefully, she poured some antiseptic solution over the abscess as well. There wasn't even the slightest reaction from Howl.

She grabbed the dagger. The handle was burning like ice against her fingers.

_I just can't do it…_

_Do it!_

_I just can't…_

_You have to!_

Closing her eyes, she aimed for the center of the repulsing mass, lifted the dagger… and stabbed.

_To be continued..._


	19. In Which Sophie Breaks A Promise

_Dear readers of this story,_

_I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long. This chapter will answer one of your most frequently asked questions. I'll say no more. ;-)_

_Some of you might consider this chapter a bit graphic. Sensitive readers, consider yourselves warned... But you should already know me by know, some chapters have been... almost worse._

_Annnd... I have an announcement to make. Tonight, at 4:04 local time (August 21, 2013) I finished the first draft of the epilogue. You, dear readers, are still a few chapters behind, and there's still some editing to do... but still, this means this story is almost finished, after more than two years!_

_Hopefully, it shouldn't be a long wait for the last three (or so) chapters. Editing is a much faster process than actually having to type up things from scratch._

_I hope you've all had a terrific summer, and I'm still overwhelmed by your wonderful reviews. I can't really grasp it-this story has about a hundred followers! When I started, I'd expected that maybe four or five people would show a little interest but... just... wow._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy!_

_Love, always,_

_BoMD_

_–––_

A sickening wave of fear and disgust swept over Sophie as she felt the blade penetrate Howl's flesh. Howl cried out in agony, a desperate, high pitched scream, and as Sophie grabbed the dagger handle anew, guided more by touch than by sight (afterwards, she couldn't even tell whether she had opened her eyes at all) and pulled the blade out, he arched his back, squirming in pain. It didn't, however, take much of her strength to hold him down.

The wound was pulsating now, staining the pile of towels she'd been placing by his side. But the mass protruding from the wound was anything but blood; a dark and vile smelling goo… like a mixture of pus, slime, and partly decomposed feathers. Fighting down her nausea, Sophie held her breath… knowing that she had to wait for the right moment… but would there even _be_ a 'right moment?' What if all of this was a trick from her delirious mind? A last, desperate action sprung from the belief that their magic link would connect them until his death (or even beyond)?

Suddenly, though, a last, large lump of the repulsing substance seeped out of the wound… and was followed by a rush of fresh, clean blood.

_Now._

She opened up the book on the right page. The edges of the black letters, staring at her from the aged paper, almost seemed to be glowing. She was trembling, all the way through her soul. Yet, she was surprised to hear that her voice was still powerful and steady when she read the words of the ancient spell, that, according to the explanatory section underneath, had been passed down through generations of sorcerers, wizards and shamans, and spread all over the world.

Despite hearing the spell so many times before, it was only as the words came over her own lips that she realized how melodic and beautiful they actually were. Though they were written in a foreign language that was totally unfamiliar to her, she found that she had no difficulties with the pronunciation. It was almost like a river, flowing from her mouth… and when she lifted her right arm, trying to imagine what Howl would have done in a similar situation, she definitely felt a surge of power originating from what appeared to be her heart, rushing through her body, all the way to her fingertips, that were suddenly throbbing with heat.

As she reached the last phrase,

_Buria Balta Bloria!_

she was almost prepared to repeat the procedure from the start… but then, several things happened at once.

A strong wind suddenly swept through the room. Some of the glass marbles and baubles snapped from their hangings above the bed, and while some fell clattering to the floor, others seemed to be exploding in midair. However, their pieces never touched the ground, but dissolved into a fine powder and disappeared, without a trace. And, simultaneously, Sophie watched, her heart beating wildly in her chest, how Howl's wound started to look as if it was boiling from inside… hissing and bubbling for a moment before it eventually began to close.

Sophie could have wept and leapt with joy as she observed how the edges of the wound just fused themselves together, from top to bottom, and all the blood surrounding it just melted away and dissolved. All that remained was now a thin, pink scar, barely visible even on Howl's clean, white skin.

Sophie was still frozen in fascination and almost a sense of disbelief as she suddenly became aware of that she was being watched. She slowly turned her head upwards and found a pair of weary blue eyes fluttering open. As they met hers, the wizard's lips formed a tired smile. "Sophie…" he whispered, weakly, but there was just fatigue and no pain in his voice.

_"Howl!"_ Sophie threw herself down on the bed, pulling him into her arms, and what felt like the tightest embrace they had ever shared. She didn't even realize that she was sobbing uncontrollably into his nightshirt until he heard him gasping, close to her ear. "Sophie, darling, if you're attempting to choke me, you're just about to succeed…" he managed, with a hint of his usual sense of humor.

"Oh… I'm so sorry, Howl… I'm so sorry about everything… I was just so scared… I was absolutely certain that I'd… that I'd lost you…" Her tears were flowing freely once more as she released him and sat up again, still clasping his right hand.

Howl tried to prop himself up on his elbows, but he didn't have the strength yet. "My dearest, sweetest Sophie…" he said in a cracked whisper. "You're _sorry_? Had it not been for you… I _would_ have been lost. You are the bravest person ever to walk this earth…" He paused for a moment, and as his eyes met Sophie's, her heart leapt at the blue intensity of his gaze. "Your magic is very strong… but of course, I've always known…" he added with a wink.

Sophie had to look away for a moment. Part of her had hoped that they would never bring up the subject again, and that Howl wouldn't remember _any _details after waking up. Yet, too many questions still remained unanswered, and she knew she wouldn't feel at peace until they were. She kissed his fingers, that were still entwined between hers. "Howl… can you tell me what really happened?"

The wizard gave a small nod. "Yes, I know, now… It all came to me in a dream. I tried to pass it on to you… using the magic link, but I was too weak. But I think we got some help–from a rather unexpected source…"

"Heen?" Sophie looked at him, her eyes wide.

Howl nodded. "You saw him too?"

"Yes… that's what I thought… In that vision… where you… where I was told to… get the dagger…" As she spoke the words, she realized how distant and surreal the recent events already felt.

"He still has a way to get in touch with Suliman, and that's obviously what he did… And despite everything that's happened… she still doesn't want to see me dead."

Sophie shook her head, but before she could say anything, Howl continued. "You see… the enemy found out that wizards like me used to grab onto the warheads… and slow them down… just like I did when they were trying to blow up our house. They created a substance… some kind of a poison, that was supposed to make us physically ill… and yet, the substance had magical qualities to it as well… once we were weak and vulnerable, it should prevent us from completely changing back into human shape… rendering our inner organs, and our skin…"

Sophie listened, nearly speechless. "That's positively… vile…" she managed, drawing a trembling hand to her mouth. "Suliman… told you about this?"

Howl nodded. "She talked to me in my dream. She also told me that I was a lucky man–that by the time we found this warhead, most of the substance must have washed off. I was only exposed to a small amount…"

"And she asked you to tell me to…" Sophie's voice trailed off.

"To be honest, my dearest, sweetest Sophie, none of us actually knew… what it really depended on was your magic. I never doubted you–you had already saved me _once_… but the question was whether _you_ would have enough faith in yourself… that dagger is a powerful tool of magic by itself, but only in the right hands…"

Once again, Sophie looked at Howl with wide eyes. "So, you mean… it wasn't just the blood quenching spell?"

Howl snorted, and would have laughed, had he been strong enough. "You did the blood quenching spell too? I was hardly aware of that… and after you cut me? It's… an understatement to say that I'm impressed… simply… amazing… that's what you are…" Sighing, he closed his eyes, but there were no hints of pain on his face.

"Will… will you be… are you sure you will be all right, now, Howl?" Sophie felt her voice quivering as she uttered the question.

"Quite sure, my love… quite sure… all thanks to you… and Suliman, well, I owe her one." Howl sighed, opening his eyes slightly, looking at her. "I'm fine now… just tired… I need to sleep… so why don't you come here… and just hold me…?"

Through tear brimmed eyes, Sophie couldn't suppress a giggle. _This_ was the Howl she knew, and loved… Part of her felt tempted to just fall back on the bed and honor his request… in fact, once again hold onto him as tightly as she possibly could, and never, ever let go, but her eyes fell on the reeking pile of towels that were still bundled up on the side of the bed. "I will. But I think I'd better get rid of these first…" She gestured at the pile. "Oh, no, you don't want to see them…" She rose from the bed with difficulty… feeling her legs tremble beneath her. "I will be right back…"

"My ever so practical wife." Howl gave a slight smile. "Don't worry… I won't be going anywhere."

Bending down, Sophie embraced him fiercely once more, stroke back his bangs, and kissed his forehead. "I'll be right back," she repeated, as she quickly gathered up the towels and made it to the door.

_–––_

"Calcifer!"

The fire demon yelped at her call, and immediately came rushing toward her. As he stopped, a couple feet before her, he was quivering anxiously in midair. "Well?"

"Oh Calcifer… he is _alive_… and he'll make it! We… I got… I had a dream… we had… we were told to…" Once again, Sophie found herself unable to talk.

Without a word, Calcifer leapt up on her shoulder, embracing her. She felt her cheek pulsating from his heat. As he released her, looking slightly scarlet and embarrassed, his eyes were on the floor. "I think I shared the same dream… and I was trying to tell you… but I also knew that it was you who had to act on it… You've done something quite extraordinary, Sophie… what you did… well, I'm certain Howl's already told you, and I wouldn't consider myself an expert of the human psyche, but I know that very few people… if _anyone_, could have managed to do what you just did…"

Sophie felt herself blushing slightly. "Thank you, Calcifer. But I'd never have managed without your help…"

"Don't even mention it."

Sophie never thought she'd hear those words from the fire demon's mouth, and now, she knew they really came from the depth of his soul.

"Is there anything else I can do… like, now?" Calcifer continued.

Sophie smiled. "Yes, in fact I think there is. I need to dispose of these towels–but you shouldn't try and burn them yourself." She indicated at the bundle that she'd dropped on the floor beside her. "I'm going back up there now… I think we both… in fact, I think we all need some sleep now. Including you… Well, I know you'd probably like to see him first…"

"No need for me to see him right away. He'll probably just keep ordering me around anyway," Calcifer added with a wink. "I think you're right. We all need some rest."

"Yes. But we should tell Markl… and my sisters…"

"If the dog knows, I'm sure he'll find a way to tell them before we even make it there…"

"You're right…" Sophie suddenly felt a great wave of exhaustion sweeping over her.

"Sophie, you look dead on your feet. Just get up there again. As soon as I'm well rested, I'll drop by their house and confirm what they already know."

"Thank you so much…"

"Well, you get back up there now… and good night!" With that, Calcifer grabbed the bundle, and headed toward the front door.

As Sophie started walking up the stairs, she was almost startled to hear a very clear voice speaking inside her head. "Could you bring me some water, please, sweetest? I need you here… beside me…"

Almost laughing out loud, shaking her head, Sophie picked up the water pitcher and headed toward the bathroom.

_–––_

Spoonful by spoonful, she let the water trickle between Howl's lips as he lay, semi-reclined, with his upper body on her lap. At first, he'd found it a bit difficult to swallow, since his throat was still all dry and raspy, but after a few mouthfuls, he drank eagerly and with no signs of discomfort or nausea. By the second glass, total exhaustion overcame them both, and they came to the decision that he'd probably had enough water to make it through the next couple of hours.

"Let's get some rest, dear…" Sophie said, helping him back onto his pillow, and organizing the blankets.

"Closer…" Howl urged, and she draped the blankets over both of them, putting her arms around his waist, snuggling up tightly against his back. He no longer felt warm to the touch, and though he was in dire need of a bath, he was starting to get his own scent back… he no longer smelled like disease.

Sophie realized however, that despite her state of exhaustion, she had one final question before she would be able to fall asleep. "Howl… you said you owe Suliman one… will she… expect something in return from us?"

"Soph… why are you worrying 'bout such things now… should sleep…" Howl slurred. "Love you… alwz…" His voice was trailing off, and just half a moment later, she knew he was sleeping deeply, his body relaxed for the first time in days.

Sophie thought she'd fall asleep almost at once herself, but instead, she felt her head swimming. The thought of being in debt to Suliman was downright frightening, and she didn't trust her one bit. What if they were unable to 'pay her back' on time? What if it meant that Howl's condition could suddenly change for the worse again?

And she had been using magic… something she'd sworn she'd never ever try her hand on, no matter the circumstances. Would there be consequences? She shuddered at the thought.

Howl sighed slightly, moving in even closer, grasping for her hand. She took it, and held onto it, as tightly as she dared, without disturbing his sleep.

_Well, at least he is alive… and on the mend. And that should be all that matters, shouldn't it?_

With that, she finally gave in to exhaustion, and with a last prayer, eventually overcome by a sense of boundless peace, she let herself fall asleep.

_To be continued..._


	20. Of Many Returns

_Dear readers of this story... thank you for all the feedback and lovely words!_

_The story isn't quite over yet-there are still a few chapters left! But since the first draft is now finished, each chapter just requires just a little bit of editing before posting, so... well, here's another. :-)_

_Enjoy! :-)_

_Love,_

_BoMD_

_–––_

In the most ideal of worlds, Sophie could easily have slept long into the afternoon. But only a couple hours later, she found herself drifting awake to the sound of a very familiar whispering voice inside her head, words softer than silk. _"My dearest, sweetest Sophie… please, my love… can you please wake up for a moment? I'm so very thirsty… "_

Slowly opening her eyes and adjusting to the mid morning light filtering in through the still closed curtains, Sophie realized that Howl was now lying on his side, facing her. He still looked exhausted, with his hair in a state of wild disarray, and despite the fact that he used to claim he'd never be able to grow a decent beard without the help of magic, a rather prominent stubble was now covering his emaciated face. But as their eyes met, Sophie felt her heart jump with joy and relief as she could definitely see that his old spark was returning.

_"Please…"_ he pleaded inside her head.

"Master flatterer," Sophie teased, propping herself up on her elbows. Reaching for the water pitcher, she filled the bedside water glass about halfway, and helping Howl sitting up in a semi-reclined position with his head on a pillow on her lap, she offered the glass to his lips. "Slowly, now…" she urged.

Howl obviously tried to comply, but still drank with rather eager sips, draining the glass within a couple moments. "A little more, please…?" he begged.

"Of course, dear." Sophie smiled. "But you'd better wait just a moment to see how that settles first…"

Howl gave a small sigh. "One… two… three… there, a moment has passed and I'm still fine… but thirsty…"

Sophie shook her head. "Naturally. But I want no relapses now… you hear me?"

Howl didn't respond, but eyed the glass with anticipation as she was refilling it, managing a weak "Thank you" before she put it to his lips once more.

"You know… we should probably get you started on the tea… and then something salty… as soon as you possibly can…"

Howl gave a small smile. "Mhm. But not _right_ now… I'm all right… but so very tired…"

Sophie smiled, putting the empty glass back on the nightstand. "Yes, you should go back to sleep again…"

Howl's lips twisted upwards as he laid back on the pillow on Sophie's lap once more. "Somehow," he slurred "…I don't think that will be a problem."

He was indeed asleep even before Sophie could help him back onto the bed. For a couple moments, she just sat there, softly stroking his hair and studying his relaxed features. She almost had to suppress a giggle when an inner vision crossed her mind–what his reaction would be should he happen to come face to face with a mirror in this state. And yet… he looked more precious to her than ever before…

Kissing his forehead, she helped him off her lap, and down on the bed beside her. Curling up against him, she covered them both with the blanket… and within moments, she was asleep again.

–––

This time, it hardly felt as she had put her head on the pillow before she was awoken anew. Howl was still sleeping peacefully, but it was Calcifer's shrill voice from downstairs that sliced through her consciousness like a razor. "Market Chipping door!" he announced, over and over again.

Untangling herself from her husband's arms that were now wrapped around her, Sophie made it to the bedroom door and yanked it open. "But for Goodness sake, Calcifer, let them in then, and ask them to give me a moment!" she called out in the direction of the staircase.

She could hear the door handle of the front door turn as she hurried to the bathroom for a quick fix up and a change of clothes. She didn't even bother to look into the mirror, just drew the brush a couple of times through her hair.

As she came halfway down the stairs, she was greeted with Dana's voice from the kitchen. Even before Sophie saw her, she knew she was about to get some good news.

"Sophie!" Dana was positively beaming as she met her on the bottom of the stairs, embracing her with her free arm. On the other, she carried a blanketed bundle. "I spoke to Calcifer… I heard… that's wonderful news! I can't say how happy I am for you… And I'm sorry, I heard you were sleeping… and I understand you must be totally exhausted… but I have someone here who just wants to say hello…"

Unfolding the blanket, Dana brought forth her baby girl to Sophie. Almost instantly, tears sprung in Sophie's eyes. The baby was so different from the last time she saw her, that she wouldn't even have recognized her. She was still a bit on the small side, but her yet chubby face now had a healthy color, her cheeks were red and her features pleasantly relaxed. As the light fell on her face, she opened up her deep blue eyes for a second and squinted at Sophie. Then, her little mouth formed a sound yawn… and she closed her eyes anew, snoozing peacefully.

As Dana spoke again, Sophie heard her voice as if it was coming from a great distance. "Merely hours after I got off the dairy products… I saw a definite improvement. And now… she's feeling well now… no diarrhea, no blood… no vomiting…" Her voice broke as she continued. "It was your advice that saved her, Sophie. Without it… she wouldn't have lasted long… and I am so eternally grateful, Sophie… there are no words…"

Carefully avoiding to squeeze the baby, the women embraced anew, both of them crying openly now. It took a long time before Sophie could stop the seamlessly endless stream of tears. Eventually finding her voice, she loosened her hold around Dana's back, moving her hand to her free shoulder instead. "Dana… I… I can't say how happy I am… that she'll live… I hope you're aware that I definitely consider you as a friend… and that you're still welcome to visit us any time you like…"

Dana nodded slowly. "Come to think of it… there might be something I could do to help… with Howl still on the mend… and considering that the rest of your family will be returning soon… maybe you can use an extra hand with the cooking for some days to come?"

"Oh really… you don't need to… with the baby and all…" Sophie put her hand up in objection, and shook her head.

"But it's not a problem!" Dana argued. "We need to cook for ourselves, nevertheless. And now… well… we have quite a lot of milk to spare these days too… and you have a fast growing eight year old…"

"Are you certain it won't be a problem? If I agree to this…"

"I am absolutely certain. Please, let me do this for you. But for now, there is _one_ thing _you_ should do, Sophie. And that is getting back to Howl and make sure that both of you get some rest."

Too emotionally spent and overwhelmed to argue, Sophie eventually followed Dana to the door. Dana promised to be back some time during the following day.

"Well, well…" Calcifer sighed as Sophie closed the front door after Dana. "Howl should get some rest. Sophie, and you should get some rest." He mimicked Dana's tone of voice. "But a fire demon is supposed to be standing at attention around the clock. 'Watch the door! Heat that water!'"

"Oh, Calcifer, _please_…" Sophie sighed, and felt an initial sting of annoyance… until she realized that it was probably a good thing that Calcifer was starting to sound like his old self again.

"Well," the fire demon cut her off. "I might just as well head over to your sisters at once. No use in trying to get some sleep here anyway."

Before Sophie had a chance to argue, he was zapping through the air and out through the funnel.

Rolling her eyes, Sophie headed toward the stairs again. Hopefully, she would get a few more moments of sleep before the next interruption.

–––

As Sophie woke up a couple hours later, (once again because of a very thirsty Howl) she realized there was little use trying to get back to sleep. And there was also… a disconcerting sensation in her gut… like something was missing, combined by a strange lack of energy… It had actually been so long since she last felt it that she hardly recognized it for what it was. She was hungry. Starving, in fact.

Fortunately, there was still much left from the food that Lettie had brought her a couple days before. Calcifer had yet not returned as she entered the kitchen, so she had to make a traditional fire. From the ingredients in the food basket, she made herself a quick bowl of soup, and prepared a new pot of ginger tea for Howl.

She had just finished her meal and was about to head back upstairs to administer the ginger tea to Howl when she heard the familiar swooshing sound from the chimney, and Calcifer came bolting into the kitchen. He was all out of breath, but this time he was merely excited. Apparently, Markl had been sharing a similar dream about Howl, Heen and Sophie, but he had not really dared to believe that Howl was actually all right until he got the news confirmed. He had been so overjoyed that Calcifer had had to physically block the doorway to prevent him from returning home at once.

Sophie felt a sting of guilt at Calcifer's words. Despite her exhaustion, she was very much looking forward to Markl's return. But yet, it was probably for the best that he waited just another day, or at least until Howl was well enough to handle liquid foods. She hoped he didn't feel unwelcome or unwanted in any way… but Calcifer soon reassured her that he'd already suggested that all of them, even her sisters, should accompany him as he returned to the castle the next morning.

Although weak, Howl was definitely on the mend, and in the evening, he even downed some broth, with no signs of discomfort. He was still too weak to move around, but Sophie managed to give him a very throughout sponge bath, that left him feeling much refreshed. She changed the bed linens and finally got rid of the protective sheets. It was a wonderful feeling to sleep in a fresh bed, and this night, they both fell asleep at once, and slept without interruptions until the morning.

–––

Yet again, it was the whisperings inside Sophie's head that eventually woke her.

_"My sweetest, dearest, most beloved…"_

Rolling over, realizing that she could easily have slept throughout the day once more, she grabbed a spare pillow and gave her husband a playful slap across his face. "Yeah, yeah, I know…" she cut him off. "You're thirsty. And hungry. And I'll see to that right away."

She tried to sound cross, but a giggle escaped her lips, and when she actually could hear Howl laughing out loud from behind the pillow, she knew the battle was lost. "Gaah, I hate you!" she blurted out. Grabbing his head, she placed a somewhat rough kiss on his forehead, before rising from bed.

She had just started the preparations for breakfast (aided by a somewhat grumpy Calcifer, who had obviously been planning to sleep in for a little longer), when there was a knock on the door. It turned out to be Dana and the baby girl–and a huge basket covered with a cloth.

"I hope I'm not too early," Dana apologized. "But my husband is aiding his brother and their family to rebuild their barn, so he left early and... well, I figured that, with the rest of the family returning today and all, you might appreciate a little help with the cooking?"

Sophie smiled. "Oh, Dana, you've done enough already... but I really do appreciate your help. I just got breakfast started, but as soon as everyone's got their fill, Calcifer will be on his way to pick them up."

"Calcifer this and Calcifer that," groused the fire demon from underneath the pot on the hearth. "Whadda you expect me, to carry him?"

Sophie laughed. "Somehow, I doubt it will be needed. He'll probably be bouncing all the way from there... you'll have to keep him from levitating... or whatever he calls it..."

Her assumptions turned out to be right. As soon as Calcifer had finished his breakfast (which, thankfully, seemed to have put him in a better mood) he shot out the door and down the street. Obviously thinking he was out of sight once he was on level with the house roofs by the first corner, he started spinning around madly, in what was definitely a sparkling, spiraling display of uncontrollable joy.

Sophie and Dana, still watching him from the doorway, both burst out laughing. Sophie shook her head. "Yes… he is, and will always be one of a kind…"

–––

Not two full hours later, the door was jerked open by a beaming and bouncing Markl. "Soooophie!" he exclaimed, running towards the kitchen area without even taking notice of the other woman who was assisting Sophie with the cooking. He drew her into such a fierce embrace that she almost toppled over before regaining her balance. Quickly placing the ladle she'd been holding on the kitchen counter, she swept him up in her arms. "Oh Markl… welcome home… I've missed you so much…" Her voice stuck.

"I missed you too, Sophie… so much…" Markl pressed his little face tightly against her apron, and she just held him for a few moments, stroking his back. Finally, she found her own voice. "Hey…" she said, laughing softly. "You're back now… and Howl's on the mend… and I thought you were bringing my sisters, and Heen?"

Markl spun around. "I… uh…" He looked genuinely surprised to see that they weren't standing right behind him. He shrugged. "I… guess I was too quick for them… or something. How's Howl?" he added demandingly, without having time to catch his breath.

"He's in bed, resting… or sleeping…" Sophie felt an unexpected warmth spreading in her chest at her own words. "But he'd never forgive me if I didn't let you get to see him…"

Markl's face lit up. "I won't tire him… at least not too much, I promise!"

Grabbing him once more, before he had a chance to slip away, Sophie placed a quick kiss on Markl's forehead. "He'll be delighted."

Squirming himself loose, Markl ran towards the stairs, but just as he was about to climb the first step, he suddenly froze in mid air. Spinning around, he stared at Dana with a look of bewilderment and poorly concealed anger on his face. "WHAT is _she_ doing here?" he demanded.

"Oh, Markl dear, sorry… I didn't have the chance to tell you, but it's all right…" Before Sophie could explain, Dana interrupted. She put down the bowl she'd been holding and approached the sulking boy, her baby on her arm. "Markl… is that your name?" She knelt in front of the still sulking boy. "This is _little_ Sophie," she explained, kissing her baby girl's sleeping face. "I've named her after your mummy. You see… had it not been for her… she would not have been alive today. She was very sick… and I've been such a fool… saying all those awful, awful things about your family… Yet, your mummy didn't care… and despite Howl being so sick and all she did everything she could to help me… and saved my little girl…"

Obviously feeling even more confused now, Markl sought Sophie's eyes for confirmation. Smiling, feeling her cheeks heating up at her words, and the fact that Dana was actually going to name her baby after her, Sophie turned to them both. "It was mere luck, Markl. No magic involved, nor medical skills, for that matter. I just recalled a similar incident from my childhood, that is all. But Dana is our friend now, and I can't even say how honored I feel–"

"_Friend?_" interrupted Dana. "_Honored?_ I owe _her_ my life! Naming my girl 'Sophie'–which is such a beautiful name anyway–will always remind me… that I should be eternally, eternally grateful. And helping her out with the cooking now and then is the least I can do…"

Looking at Sophie, then Dana, then Calcifer (who remained silent under the pot on the hearth), Markl shook his head. "Err… I…"

"Yes, go on," Sophie urged. "Go see Howl. Lunch will be ready in about half an hour. And you said it yourself–don't overtax him."

Markl gave an enthusiastic nod. "I won't." Spinning around again, he bolted up the stairs. The women watched him in silence until they heard the bedroom door close behind him.

"Oh, Sophie…" Dana suddenly looked apologetic, putting a hand over her mouth. "I just realized… I called you his _mummy_… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to–"

Bubbling with laughter, Sophie looked at Dana. "Oh for Goodness sake, Dana… I didn't even notice!" Suddenly needing to wipe her eyes on her sleeve, she marveled at her own words. "I didn't even notice… and neither did he…"

_To be continued..._


	21. A Most Unwelcome Letter

_Dear readers of this story,_

_Another couple of hectic weeks have passed, and I've finally found the time to edit and post a new chapter. Next chapter will in fact be the last!_

_No words can describe how grateful I am for all your kind words and interest in this story! I *will* continue writing fan fic once this is done... but for my next fic I'll make a rather drastic change in fandoms. More on that later... some of those who have PM:ed me already know._

_Well, enough rambling already. Enjoy!_

_Love;_

_BoMD_

_–––_

Gradually, life in the Moving Castle was returning to normal. Or, mused Sophie, at least as close to normal as could be expected in a moving castle with a convalescent wizard.

Not too long after Markl had disappeared upstairs on the day of his return, Sophie's sisters had come bursting in through the door, with a wheezing and bouncing Heen in tow. Both of her sisters, (and not to mention Dana), had looked very surprised and almost a tad disgusted as Sophie just scoped up the dog, hugged him tightly and placed a huge kiss on his mouth. Heen just winked and giggled in his usual asthmatic way.

When Markl eventually returned from upstairs–fresh traces of tears on his face, but with a beaming smile from ear to ear–they had all enjoyed the most delightful meal together. Once they were done, Sophie's sisters and Dana had insisted that Sophie should go and check on Howl, and then get some rest, while they were taking care of the kitchen.

Naturally, Sophie was utterly grateful for their help, and knew that Dana probably would do everything in her power to help them back on their feet. Her usual independent self would always feel somewhat inconvenient when accepting help from others. But she was very well aware of that Dana was taking great pride in being able to give her something in return, and that she just had to accept it. However, little did she realize how fast the rumors about her 'allegedly unselfish and heroic act' were spreading across the town. It soon became clear to her that she wouldn't have to worry about cooking for quite some time. Every single day, people were showing up on their doorstep, bearing gifts that most often consisted of edibles or pre-prepared meals.

While she might had expected visits from most of their acquaintances and people who had attended their wedding, she was surprised to see that some of the visitors were perfect strangers, yet, they were addressing her as a long time friend. Some of them even brought money, which Sophie, naturally, refused to take. Some were, however, really persistent, and she once again got into the habit of making certain that there were always fresh flower bouquets available so she could offer them _something_ in return. In fact, more and more requests for flower bouquets _were_ starting to come in, and as soon as Howl had recovered enough to be able to help her out, she knew that it would be a good time to finally rebuild the shop and get the business restarted for real.

The number of Markl's customers was also steadily increasing, and so were the ones paying with real money. Loyal as the boy was, he always presented a full report on his finances every night, and none of the money were kept only for himself. Sophie was relieved beyond words to see that even without Howl's help, they would be able to obtain some kind of financial balance.

Howl's recovery, however, was not going to be a swift one. While there was no question about that he was actually recovering, his body had taken a severe beating. He needed help with virtually everything, and Sophie didn't even dare to leave him alone in the bathroom, since he had nearly fainted when trying to take his first bath. Not even the bath oils were helping much, and both of them were aware of that nothing could be done about it. Time, lots of rest and nourishing, easily digested food, were the only things that would help him restore his health.

All he really wanted to do was sleep, and for the first days (and nights), that was mostly what he did. He didn't want to see anyone, not even some of his most frequent visitors and customers from the past who dropped by to wish him a swift recovery. But when the farmer whom he'd helped with the warhead dropped by, together with his wife, Sophie just led them straight to the bedroom. Both she and Howl were almost moved to tears by their gratitude and deep concern for his well being. They didn't stay long, but promised to return within a couple weeks. Sophie assured them that they'd be welcome anytime they'd like.

During the first couple of days, Sophie was almost constantly at Howl's side. Between his customers, Markl spent a lot of time at his bedside as well. As soon as Howl was feeling well enough to start to show interest in his books again, they both seemed equally eager to catch up on their mutual reading and studying sessions. Markl was indeed very careful not to tire him out, but it usually ended very abruptly with Howl falling asleep mid-sentence in a pile of books (which Sophie had to clear away later). Even Calcifer spent a rather unusual amount of time away from the hearth, most often engaged in private conversations with Howl in the bedroom. Knowing that they were probably discussing practical matters about the castle and upcoming maintenance tasks that most certainly involved advanced magic, she had little interest to attend. But sometimes, fragments of fire-demonic snigger came floating out into the hallway from behind the bedroom door. It always brought a smile to her lips.

Many times however, Sophie found herself just silently watching Howl as he was sleeping, his chest slowly moving up and down, his face relaxed and undisturbed. Despite the fact that he had lost several pounds–that unfortunately would not be easily regained–he still looked so beautiful… but fragile. How would she ever allow him to go out again, even on the simplest of missions, without worrying herself to death? It would be a difficult time, no doubt. Even Markl and Calcifer often lingered in the bedroom long after Howl had fallen asleep. Sometimes, all three of them had found themselves sitting by his bedside in silence. Though they never spoke about it openly, she suspected that the others had similar thoughts and feelings.

But the only thing that was really gnawing at Sophie's subconsciousness was the premonition that Suliman would not let her–albeit involuntary–act of magic go unnoticed. She had tried to bring it up with Howl on several occasions when he was awake, but he was always changing the subject. She was not surprised, however, when exactly a week from the day when it all happened, a royal messenger turned up at the door, delivering a letter addressed to "Mr and Mrs Pendragon." Since it wasn't addressed to Howl specifically, she opened the letter herself, on her way upstairs.

_To whom it might concern_, it began.

Sophie felt her heart beating hard as she kept reading on.

_It has come to our attention that as on August 4 at 4:47 a.m., an unauthorized act of magic was performed within this household by a practitioner of magic previously unknown to us._

_In order to determine the kind of legal action to be taken, we hereby demand you to leave a full report in writing before September 4, stating:_

_* The practitioner's full name_

_* The purpose of the act_

_* The consequences of the act_

_* Any long time effects of the act, including unintended side effects and damage to any person or property_

The letter was written in firm, perfect letters with the royal seal at the bottom.

Feeling the first stab of anger at Howl since he had fallen ill, Sophie rushed to the bedroom and gave him a rather abrupt wakeup as she slammed the door behind her and dropped the letter on the bed. Placing an extra pillow behind his head, Howl sat up in a semi-reclined position and read the letter through, seemingly a couple times. To Sophie's annoyance, he just gave a small laugh, looking at her. "What are you so upset about? Give me a day or two, and they'll have their report. We have nothing to worry about."

"Come _on_, Howl," Sophie urged, rolling her eyes. "It says 'legal action'. I want to know what it means. And _now_."

Howl sighed. "I'm pretty certain that Suliman is very well aware of that you saved my life with the dagger. However, I doubt that any of them could foresee your attempt at the blood quenching spell. It probably caught them by surprise, and I'm pretty sure that's what behind this. But I'll explain it to them in the letter, and under these circumstances, I'm pretty certain they'll just look through their fingers…"

"Look through their fingers? _Suliman?!_"

"Well, alright, maybe not–"

"Howl!" interrupted Sophie with a tired sigh. "What is the worst case scenario here? What will they ask of me?"

"Err…" Howl's eyes avoided hers, and she could see that he was probably genuinely exhausted, but she _needed_ to know.

"Err, _what?_"

"Well… the worst case scenario, from _your_ point of view, that is… is that she'd probably have you sign up as, well, as a disciple, for me, that is… well, things could be worse…"

Once again, he gave a little laugh, but Sophie still wasn't pleased. "And then, she'll make me take some kind of exam, won't she? And have me sign a contract with similar terms to yours?" She gestured at the wizard contract, where the dagger now was back in its usual place.

"That might be the case, yes…" Howl reluctantly admitted. "But Sophie, look… it's pretty much unavoidable. Your magic… it's very, very strong. I think both of us have been aware of that, ever since you restored my heart. Those things just happened naturally to you, and you didn't reflect too much upon them, practical as you are. But now… well, the blood quenching spell, you really thought it through, you know… and planned it. It was bound to happen, sooner or later you _would_ find yourself in a situation where you'd choose magic–like… to save my life." He smiled a tired smile. "I think you'd better embrace this ability, and learn more about how to control it. Then you can choose for yourself whenever you want–or don't want to use it…"

He did have a point, of course. But Sophie was far from certain that it would be a good thing to let him win this argument. She sighed. "I still can't see it as my destiny… that's all…"

"Destiny?" Howl snorted. "Nothing is predetermined, Sophie, the choice will always be yours in the end… And we still don't even know what Suliman has to say about all this. I'll give them their report, and you'll have absolutely nothing to worry about, my love." He yawned. "Now… if you'll excuse me, but I'm rather sleepy… hmm, but also… You don't think you can make me some of that delicious corn formula of yours, do you?" He winked.

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Well… I will think about it." She walked out the door, hearing Howl's soft giggle behind her. She couldn't tell, however, whether it was just inside her head.

_To be continued..._


	22. In Which Much Has Changed Or Not

_Dear readers of this story,_

_Today will mark the end of an era._

_We've reached the final chapter of this story, and about two years of work. I know, I know, I haven't been overly prolific, but this is fan fiction, and fan fiction is best written when the inspiration is there._

_During the course of this story, you have submitted 134 reviews in total. 114 people have added this story to their favorites, and 148 people have signed up for the story alert. Words can't even describe how much I appreciate your kind words and support!_

_Initially, I wasn't even sure I'd post this story. Now I'm really glad I did. Your feedback has made me grow and develop as a writer, and I'm really touched by the fact that so many of you seem to have enjoyed the story so much._

_I've got a couple more stories brewing in my head at the moment, but there's always the question whether I actually *will* manage to write them down (and share them). Most likely though, the next fic will be set in a completely different universe... namely _due South_, one of the best TV series I've ever seen, to be honest. :-)_

_Anyway... feel free to add me to your author alerts if you want to keep track of further updates from me!_

_Once again, thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart!_

_Love, always,_

_BoMD_

–––

"But for _Goodness_ sake!"

Rolling her eyes and raising her hands in defeat, Sophie rose from the kitchen table where she had been trying to focus on reading today's newspaper while having a cup of tea. From the hearth, Calcifer gave a soft snicker that was abruptly cut off as she gave him a sharp look, passing by on her way to the stairs.

At the beginning of Howl's recovery process, she had felt nothing but boundless happiness and optimism about the future. Everything was going to be all right now. Howl would be back to normal and feeling even stronger than before, and Ingary would recover from the war. The city of Market Chipping was going to be rebuilt. Their business–and not to mention their marriage–would blossom.

Little did she know that it wasn't going to be a straight road... by any means.

Once Howl was back on regular food and able to use his legs without support, she had expected him to be able to manage the most basic tasks without much assistance. But while he was steadily improving, the progress was painstakingly slow. More than a week after his turning point, he still barely had the strength to make it downstairs and join them at the dinner table.

Sophie had no doubts whatsoever that Howl was, indeed, very tired. Yet… no matter how much she was trying to deny it, part of her was beginning to fear that he was starting to slip back into his old ways. At first, she had granted his every wish without question, always and immediately seeing to his needs. But as the days passed with no considerable improvement, her frustration was steadily increasing. Sometimes, it was as if the wizard had forgotten how to manage _anything_ by himself. As soon as he woke up, no matter if it was day or night, he was calling out for her. He still had not severed their magic connection, and as his strength improved, so did the sound of the voice, to a point where it was becoming downright intrusive. "Sooophie… dearest…" "I'm hungry…" "I'm thirsty…" "Can you please ask Calcifer to run a bath for me?" There was a constant stream of requests and 'wants'.

After their initial conversation about the letter from the court, Sophie had come to realize that there were still so many questions in her mind that needed answering. But getting _anything_ out of Howl these days would not prove an easy task. Every time she tried to bring it up, he quickly changed the subject, claiming he was too tired or hungry or just didn't feel like talking about it at that particular moment. In fact, every attempt at conversation on more serious matters than dinner requests or bath oils was rejected in a similar manner.

Just a few days before the report to the court was due, the pencil and paper that Sophie had placed on his bedside table still remained untouched. Howl spent his days reading, sleeping and soaking in the bath, locked in the bathroom for hours–alone. While some of the books concerned magic, (Sophie mused as she spent hours every day to locate and later replace the specific titles he was asking for), he was anything but eager to get back to work.

While Sophie tried to reason that this was perfectly normal for someone who had been so ill, there were days when she just felt like screaming. The self loathing and doubt she'd thought she'd gotten rid of so long ago was gradually returning… and she once again started to avoid the mirror, terrified that her old curse would still affect her appearance. In the evenings, after Howl had fallen asleep for the night, she often found herself sitting on the bed, looking out of the window for hours. She couldn't remember that she'd ever felt this isolated. How was it possible that it could hurt even more than _any_ other kind of loneliness she had _ever_ known before?

Calcifer seemed to sense her frustration, acting as sympathetically toward her as his fiery demon soul would allow. There were, however, some things that she could never, ever talk to him about… nor with Dana, or even her own sisters, for that matter… that what actually worried and saddened her the most was the total lack of intimacy between her and Howl, and how desperate she was to get it back.

After getting married, the concept of lust and desire got a whole new meaning to her. She had expected no less. What she had _not_ expected, however, was how much she would miss it when all of a sudden it wasn't a part of her daily life anymore. Howl was still snuggling up against her in his sleep, occasionally using her back as a pillow… but that was about it. At night, when she was ready to go to bed, he was already deeply asleep and she had to be careful not to wake him. Yet… there had been nights when she'd woken up, desperate with an almost primitive, unstoppable lust… and reaching underneath his nightshirt, she had caressed him in places that usually would wake him up from the deepest slumber. Now, however… he merely just sighed in his sleep, if he moved at all…

In fact, she couldn't even remember the last time they kissed good night, and in the mornings, when she had to rise and get breakfast started, he usually slept for a few more hours before waking up. As soon as he'd become coherent enough, he'd call out for a breakfast tray, and while he was most often praising Sophie's cooking–almost on the brink of flattering–he would always have specific food requests.

Once he had finished his meal, he'd finally rise from bed, strip out of his nightshirt (just dropping it on the floor), wrap himself with a clean towel and make a bee-line for the bathroom, calling out to Calcifer for hot water while on his way. As he eventually rose from the bath, usually leaving the bathroom in a total state of chaos, he'd be very exhausted, and in dire need of a nap… which lasted until he was hungry again. After the meal, he'd need to rest anew… either sleeping or reading in bed. And so passed the days…

Sophie knew she had to be patient, and that things would hopefully change with time. Yet… part of her was indeed starting to fear that he was caught in a circle that somehow needed to be broken. Yet, she didn't want to rush things. At first, she had encouraged him to get up and move around as soon as he was physically able. But a few days after he finally got out of bed, he'd woken up with what he described as an excruciating headache. She'd had to nurse him all through the day as he claimed to feel all feverish and terribly nauseous. As the afternoon turned into evening, he finally did throw up, eventually falling asleep from exhaustion.

Sophie had managed to keep herself calm all through the ordeal, but as soon as he was sleeping, she had been rushing downstairs, desperately pacing the kitchen, until Calcifer stopped her, mid-step. "Sophie," he'd said with a deep sigh, "for how long was he whining about how sick he felt before he actually threw up?"

"Err…" Sophie found herself counting on her fingers.

"My point exactly." Calcifer rolled his eyes. "Trust me, Sophie. He's gonna be just fine. You have nothing to worry about."

Calcifer would prove to be right. After a long night of uninterrupted sleep, Howl had woken up hungry and thirsty, the pain all but gone. But the incident had left a fear within her that wouldn't let itself be ignored. She didn't dare to push him… in _any_ way. Yet… she was very well aware of that it was only a matter of time before she would eventually snap and yell at him–and forever hate herself for doing so.

On some level, she knew that Howl was feeling pretty frustrated himself. However, considering how prone he was to self-detachment, he probably didn't know how to handle his feelings… or maybe even recognize them for what they were. But as his abilities for magic were returning, so was obviously his penchant for mischief. He seemed to be taking great pleasure in creating magical distractions, teasing and confusing the rest of his family members.

Once,Sophie was even shocked to see Markl come running out of Howl's bedroom, slamming the door behind him, yelling "This is so not fair!" to the closed door, while stomping his feet in anger. Later, she confronted him, trying to make him talk about it. But for once, Markl had stoically refused. It really upset her, though, since he was obviously very close to tears.

And now Howl was begging for her attention again. Stifling a deep sigh, she opened the bedroom door. "Yes, Howl, what is it?"

"Hullo, sweet wife…" came Howl's voice from the bed, still thick with sleep. He stretched and yawned. "What time is it?"

"It's almost four… in the afternoon," Sophie added, still waiting for some kind of explanation why he had summoned her with such urgency.

"Ehh…" Howl's eyes flickered for a moment. "I…"

Once again, Sophie had to clench her teeth to keep herself from sighing. _So there was no elaborate master plan behind this either, just his _constant_ need for attention. How original_. She gave him a demanding look.

"Well… it… Is it too late… or too early for one of those lovely bacon sandwiches of yours? I mean, we still have some fresh bacon, don't we?"

Before Sophie could reply or even react, the metal food tray that Howl had placed on the nightstand suddenly took off, and started bobbing back and forth in mid air between them, as if it was trying to make her grab it. Rolling her eyes and groaning, she finally reached out her hand, but just as she was about to clasp it between her fingers, the tray made a swift evasive maneuver, spraying her face with crumbs.

Howl was roaring with laughter, but it quickly stuck in his throat as Sophie once more threw herself at the tray, this time successfully catching it with both hands. Fuming with rage, she smacked it several times against the bedside table, denting it severely. Howl instinctively backed away, and judging by the terrified look in his eyes, he almost expected her to slap him right across his face as well. She would never admit, not even to herself, how close it had actually been. But Instead she let the disfigured piece of metal clatter to the floor.

"So _this_ is how you choose to spend your energy?!" she heard herself screaming on the top of her lungs.

Suddenly speechless, Howl bowed his head in shame. "I… I'm sorry, Sophie… I…"

"You'd better be!" Turning on her heals, Sophie walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

Without a word, she flew down the stairs. In the kitchen, she grabbed the newspaper from the table and tossed it at a surprised Calcifer. But instead of consuming it, he gently folded it, hovered up to the table and put it back beside Sophie's chair, unsinged.

"Sophie…" he began, an uncharacteristic softness in his voice. "Tomorrow… you should take a day off."

"Off?" Sophie just stared at him, nonplussed.

"Well… whatever you'd call it. Get out of here. Go visit your sisters… or Dana… or both. Just get out. You've put up with this for _far_ too long."

Sophie sighed. "No, Calcifer… I can't do that. Howl–"

"…is more than fully capable of taking care of himself now," the fire demon interrupted with a voice that allowed no argument. "Just have a couple simple meals prepared and I'll assist them with the cooking. It will be all right, Sophie."

Sophie was about to object when she suddenly heard a voice from the top of the stairs. "Sorry to be eavesdropping… but Calcifer is right. I _have_ been very selfish, and you _do_ need some time off." Howl was descending down the stairs, and while not still back to his usual, graceful self, he was obviously moving without difficulty. Walking up to Sophie, he unfolded his arms, encouraging her to let him embrace her. At first, she was a little bit hesitant, but eventually she gave up and let herself get pulled into what was actually a nice, warm, genuine hug. "I'm sorry, love," he whispered into her hair. "I'm really, really, sorry…"

"It's all right, Howl," she managed. "I just…"

"…got so sick and tired of this good-for-nothing-so-called-wizard who's nothing but a spoiled brat, incapable of treating his amazing wife with even a fraction of the respect she deserves…" Howl interrupted with a sigh, his voice trembling a little.

Sophie smiled a tired smile, still leaning her head against his shoulder. "Well, maybe not _that_ bad, but…"

"Almost," Calcifer broke in.

They all snorted.

After a while, Sophie spoke again. "Well… Calcifer does have a point. I actually _should_ go and visit mum and my sisters soon… maybe Dana, too. They've been here quite a lot, and it would be nice to get out a little… if you really think you can handle things on your own for a bit…"

Howl's eyes met hers, a smile twitching at the edge of his lips. "You know what, dear? I'm still hungry for that sandwich… but I think I'll make it myself."

–––

"Thank you and good night!"

"Good night to you too, Mrs Jenkins!"

Sophie smiled at her mum's and stepdad's young servant as he turned his car around and headed back in the direction they had come from. It was a delightful sight. Just a couple weeks ago the streets of Market Chipping had been so cluttered with debris and twisted metal that even _walking_ had been difficult. Now, it was fully possible to _drive _through the city, even after sunset. To Sophie's relief, her new stepfather had in fact insisted that their new servant (a young man who looked nothing like Suliman's clones) should do just that, so she could stay for as long as possible and get a safe ride home.

And they had had a pleasant time indeed. Chance had it that Dana had dropped by just after breakfast, and Sophie had suggested that she should join her as she was just preparing to get out of the door. Martha and Lettie had met Dana on quite a few occasions by now, and they were always delighted to see her–not to mention Little Sophie. They usually carried her around and cuddled her for hours, until Dana almost had to beg to get her back. Sophie would not have been surprised if spending that much time with a baby would trigger their ever present nagging for her to get one of her own, but fortunately, in the light of the present events, they seemed to be careful enough not to bring up the subject.

And to Sophie's relief, few questions concerning married life had been asked during the course of the evening. Everyone had, of course, inquired about Howl's health and recovery, and there had been a subsequent discussion about men and their obvious lack of self analysis. Sophie had in fact been surprised that even Dana's husband seemed to have a lot left to learn in that department, at least according to her. But thankfully, that was about it. Not even after Dana had had to leave them to be able to make it home before sunset, had Sophie at any point found them too inquisitive. They had mostly been talking about happy childhood memories and the fact that Cesari's now was completely restored and about to re-open, which meant that Lettie was getting her job back. Her enthusiasm was downright contagious, and they had been laughing and talking for hours, until their stepfather had gently interrupted with a soft knock on the kitchen door, pointing out that it was almost midnight.

For a moment, Sophie nearly panicked. What if Howl was sick with worry by now? But no… as far as she knew, they still had that mental connection, and he had not even tried to talk to her once. Most likely, she mused as she walked up to the front door, he was already asleep, and had been so for long.

Softly, she opened the door, entered and closed it carefully behind her. The light from the oil lamps illuminating the room was rather dim, but it soon become evident that the kitchen had been so thoroughly cleaned that the floors and all surfaces were literarily shining. On the plate rack, two plates and a couple of pans were neatly stacked, and obviously, all the food she had left for them to prepare had been eaten. In fact, the entire house had a faint scent of detergent. There was no sign of clutter anywhere… everything had been neatly put away. Except for one item, lying on top of the kitchen table…

Sophie's heart beat faster as she approached the table. No, her eyes had not betrayed her. It was a letter, a sealed envelope… addressed to the royal court. And the letters were definitely Howl's handwriting.

For a moment, she felt such a tremendous relief she could have picked up the letter and kissed it. Almost laughing out loud, she realized it would be best if she didn't.

Her eyes swept over the room again. Calcifer was dozing comfortably on the hearth, but opening one eye as she was passing by, then quickly closing it again, without a word. She thought she heard another sound of soft breathing from somewhere… yes, over there…

Howl was lying on the kitchen coach, soundly asleep. He had obviously dozed off while reading, since one of his arms was still flailed out, as if reaching for the dropped book on the floor. His raven hair was draped over the pillow, and the wide necked shirt he was wearing was exposing his delicate collarbones; the fabric shifting softly at each breath. His face was a mask of serenity with his dark lashes creating a stark contrast to his pale skin. He looked so peaceful… and so beautiful that you just wanted to…

Oh yes. She knew _exactly_ what she wanted to do.

Tiptoeing up to him, she bent over, and softly, tenderly, let her lips touch his. Almost immediately, his eyes slowly opened. His initial confusion was already wearing off as she was kissing him for a second time, and now, he responded, kissing her back… very carefully at first, then withdrawing for about half a second, meeting her eyes… and then, with a fierce intensity, pulling her back into another overwhelming kiss, entangling his hands in her hair. Straddling him, Sophie deepened the kiss and didn't even notice that her hands had found their way underneath his shirt, as she felt his fingers starting to unbutton the neck of her dress…

"Hrrrmmm!" a sharp voice was suddenly heard from the fireplace. "But for Goodness sake! I'm trying to sleep here!"

Momentarily breaking loose from the enchantment, panting heavily from the effort, Sophie managed a "Sorry, Calcifer…" her voice bubbling with an almost unstoppable laughter.

Howl, however, wasn't laughing. He was still holding her gaze, his eyes positively glowing with so much emotion that Sophie found it almost unbearable. Passion, admiration… and just a flowing sensation of his overwhelming love for her. Without a word, she let herself be embraced and carried away in his arms. Were they flying? Walking? Had he grown wings again? She didn't know. All she was aware of was the curtain of silence, closing behind them when the bedroom door suddenly came into view. And then, the world was reduced to nothing but two wildly beating hearts, singing in perfect unison.

_To be continued_


	23. Epilogue

When Calcifer heard the curtain of silence falling behind Sophie and Howl, he let out a deep sigh between his fiery teeth. There was no use to even try and go back to sleep, it would only be a matter of a short time before they'd be back to bother him again. He sighed anew. Humans. Why did their relationships have to be so complex and so complicated… with all this physical stuff that obviously was such an important aspect? Touching, kissing, and this lovemaking stuff that seemed to be so essential for married couples.

Out of curiosity, he had actually once taken a peek in one of his master's most secret books that did, in great detail, describe the art of lovemaking. But he, himself, harbored no such lust. To him, it just seemed to be a very inconvenient… well, almost _disgusting_ way to reproduce. And the fact that humans were often doing it just for pleasure, without any intentions of creating an offspring… now, that was way beyond his understanding. Particularly when it also seemed to stir up a lot of contradictable emotions in its wake.

But who was he to voice any opinions on this matter. He was only a fire demon… or merely a very faithful servant, never questioning an order. And yet… they all seemed to want to confide in him, as if they expected him to have all the answers.

"Calcifer… I think I just did something very stupid… Sophie will never forgive me for this… what should I do…?"

"Oh Calcifer… I'm so worried about Howl… was I too hard on him?"

As a shooting star, all you needed to do to expand your mass and mental abilities, merging into a fire demon, was having a human volunteer to share a physical organ or a limb with you. In fact, a heart would do… or a pair of eyes, or even a braid. But Calcifer had come to realize that even those who had once shared such a connection with him would never fully grasp it. And while he had always been reluctant to admit it to himself, he did, well… _appreciate_ the humans of the Moving Castle so much that he was willing to do his best to try and adapt to their lifestyle.

But the most significant thing about humans was definitely their inability to be honest about things. Of course, Howl was a master of the art of slithering away from the truth. But he had noticed the same behavior in almost every human he had ever met. Even Sophie sometimes tried to "refine" the truth a bit when she was afraid that it would hurt. Since everyone always seemed to see through these kind of lies anyway (and then turn to him for advice as soon as the others had left the room!) he had sworn to himself that he would always stick to the truth, no matter how inconvenient it was. To his surprise, this strategy never worked. Instead, they would accuse him of being rude and provoking…

Suddenly, his musings were interrupted by the sound of the invisible curtain opening up, and he could hear Howl's bare feet on the staircase landing. "Hey… Calcifer!" he said in a loud whisper.

"If your intention was to wake me up, why are you whispering?" Calcifer sighed.

"Eh, I… eh, sorry…"

The fire demon snickered softly. "So?"

"Well," Howl continued, now in his normal voice, though still a bit winded. "I'd need some hot water for our… err, my, eh, the bath…"

"Well, well, well…" Calcifer clicked his tongue. "What a perfect ending for such a splendid night. Sophie must be so pleased. Markl put to bed on time, after a very nice and healthy dinner, cooked after her instructions. The house spick and span… and you even finished that dreaded letter for the court, after several weeks of nagging. And then… well, to sum it up… I'm sure she got all she could ever wish for, and even more. And now, here you stand, wearing nothing but your birthday suit… begging your obedient servant for some hot water to round things up in the best way possible…"

"Cal… how…?"

Calcifer could hear the momentary panic in the wizard's voice as he was moving around, as if he was trying to cover himself up. "Aw, come on, Howl. I'm not stupid." He rolled his eyes.

"Calcifer, _please…_"

The fire demon snickered anew. "Calcifer this, Calcifer that… little does she know…"

"About what?" Howl inquired. "What do you mean?"

"Only… If I were you, I'd really try and stick to my word to keep up and finish things on time, and keeping my promises… to everyone in the family, including your loyal servant… or else, some day, my tongue just _might_ slip, and I might tell her everything about what _really_ happened on this fateful evening, including whom it was that kept reminding you of your 'schedule'… every other minute or so…"

Calcifer could almost _hear_ the wizard paling. "Don't you _dare!_" he gasped.

"You know I do."

"All right… all right…" Howl sighed, and Calcifer could hear the desperation in his voice. "I'll do my best to keep my word. Just don't tell her… please…"

Calcifer laughed anew. "I'll try and keep my mouth shut. And get you some hot water. And then… well, some sleep would be nice…"

"Good night, Calcifer. And thank you."

The fire demon merely nodded as he heard the curtain shut behind his master… but only a few seconds later, it opened anew. "Oh, Calcifer!" Howl cried. "Don't make it too hot. We… I'd like to soak for a while!" Then the curtain shut anew.

The fire demon rolled his eyes and flailed his arms in frustration. Some things would never change.

–––

Sophie pushed the wooden doors to the balcony open and let the cold night air caress her burning, naked skin. She still felt Howl's presence in every part of her body, his love for her still lingering in the air, like the touch of his kisses on her skin, and the tingling sensation in the most secret of places… and those eyes… This was the most powerful magic she had ever experienced… though it was not of the kind that Suliman could ever control.

How was it even possible to love someone this much? And to have him love her back… even doing everything in his power to _try_ and correct his flaws, just for her…

She took another deep breath, feeling warm tears running down her cheeks. They were, however, not tears of sorrow.

The castle was flying slowly, just a little bit above the clouds that were rolling underneath them like a giant field of cotton in the bright light from an almost full moon. Far away, she could see the vague shape of some mountain tops. Suddenly overcome with laughter, for seemingly no reason at all, she turned around, looking toward the hallway. Where was he? He'd said he was just going to ask Calcifer for some water… what took him so long?

Turning around again, she shook her head, her hair flowing in the breeze. Maybe they were having an argument. Her mental vision of a naked Howl trying to argue with a sleep-deprived Calcifer made her giggle. Suddenly, a particularly cold breeze sent a shiver through her spine. She was really looking forward to that bath now, once again feeling the presence of Howl's body next to her… warm and alive. _Alive_.

Just a moment later, she heard his footsteps approaching again. With a last, deep breath and a sweeping look over the dreamlike landscape, she turned around and headed for the doors.

There was a strong scent of autumn in the air.

-FINIS-

or in the vulgar tongue

-The End-


End file.
